The Broken Guardian
by Nightshade Guardian
Summary: A slightly darker take on the guardian of the hunt context. Percy is betrayed by almost everyone at camp and leaves what had been his home for the last six years and a chain of events unfold. Pertemis pairing maybe one other later in the story. I DO NOT OWN PJO OR HOO
1. Chapter 1: So it begins

The Broken Guardian

A/N: Hi I just wanted to say that this my first fanfiction so if there are some mistakes or mess ups in uploading or anything please forgive me or give me advice on how to fix my mistake.

Nightshade Guardian

Percy POV

As he ran through the forest, branches scraping against his skin, he looked back as to why he was running. Why he was running away from the one place he used to call home. One name. One single name had caused this and one day he would get what was coming to him.

Flashback

Percy was having a nice day relaxing with Annabeth in the strawberry fields of camp half-blood when they saw a kid running towards the border being chased by three dracena. He and Annabeth ran towards them, Percy uncapping riptide and Annabeg drawing her drakon bone sword, when he reached them he cut one of their spears in half as it was going to impale the kid and then sliced the dracena in half. Annabeth then started to fight the other dracena until the kid pushed percy to the ground and charged at the monster with his bronze xiphos. Percy would have laughed at how bad the kid's skill with a sword was except he was charging the monster who had just knocked Annabeth over and was about to impale her with it's spear. The kid started swinging wildly until he managed to get a lucky strike against the monster and it burst into golden dust, his nameless xiphos dropping from the kids hands as it happened. The other dracena looked about nervously and then stiffened as Annabeths sword pierced the monster's stomach.

"Did you see that?" the kid proclaimed as Percy now saw a small gathering of campers behind him "I just killed a monster without training. I am so awesome" some of the campers looked in awe at him (mostly the new campers) whereas others looked bored as if this wasn't anything important. Percy realised that this kid could possibly be one of the most arrogant and stuck-up demigods he has ever met. He turned to Annabeth. "Thanks for killing that snake thing but I didn't need your help i could have easily defeated it but you could easily defeat me with your stunning looks. My name is Ryan by the way" Percy got slightly annoyed at this as he was flirting with his girlfriend who he still had plans to go to college with in New Rome next summer. He got even more annoyed at her when she started blushing. He calmed down as he realised that it was natural for someone to blush when receiving compliments or being flirted with. As he went to talk to this new kid a golden sun appeared above Ryan's head as Chiron reached the frint if the group. Chiron then knelt down and proclaimed "All hail Ryan, son of Apollo Lord of The Sun, Archery, Truth, Prophecy and Medicine" the kid looked slightly shocked at what was happening then grined

A/N: And that is it for the first chapter! I hope that you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it and hopefully I can get a chapter out soon until then have fun

Nightshade Guardian


	2. Chapter 2: Betrayals begin

Chapter 2: Betrayals begin

A/N I would like to thank the people who decided to review it means alot to me that you guys apreciate my story so far and that you have me advice to try and improve my story so a massive thank you to everyone who reviews this now or later on. I also want to say that this story will not contain chaos as i feel it makes Percy to overpowered anyway. To the story.

It had been a week since Ryan had arrived at camp and his attitude had only got worse. As soon as he had heard that Percy had saved Olympus not just once but twice that seemed to get on his nerves he started to spread rumors to some of the younger campers that Percy hadn't done as much as he claimed and that he took credit for others achievements. At first they didn't seem to believe this but then, slowly they started to think that Ryan was telling the truth. Most of the younger campers now thought that Percy was just a guy looking to get attention from claiming false heroics. Almost all of the older campers ignored the arrogant son of Apollo as they knew about Percy and what he had done and this seemed to infuriate Ryan. A few days later Percy was training in the sword arena with Clarisse when Katie Gardner stormed towards them. "PERSEUS JACKSON!" Yelled Katie. "What is it Katie? And can you please call me Percy you know I dislike my full name" replied Percy, pausing the spar with Clarisse, slightly confused as to why the daughter of Demeter was shouting at him, she was usually quite quiet and rarley shouted at anyone. "Don't play innocent with me you destroyed my garden!" Percy frowned. "No I didn't why do you think I did that?" Katie looked furious. "Yes you did! The whole garden was flooded and Ryan said he saw you flood it so you better stay away from me and my siblings from now on Perseus!" After she said this she stormed off leaving a slightly hurt Percy as he had always been friends with the kids of Demeter and now it seemed like that was ruined because of something he didn't do. He walked off saying that he didn't feel like sparring anymore.

Line break

A few days later Percy ran into the Stolls by the big house. "Hey guys what's up?" Asked Percy. Travis suddenly whipped around and as soon as he saw Percy his face darkened. "Don't you 'what's up' us Percy" he practically snarled at him. Percy looked at him confused and hurt as the Stolls had always been some of his close friends throughout his time at camp. "What are you talking about?" Asked Percy. Connor glared at him "oh I don't know, how about the fact that you told Chiron about the massive prank we have been planning for TWO WHOLE MONTHS! And now we have six weeks on K.P. thanks to you!" He hissed. Percy frowned. "Who told you that? I never told Chiron" he replied. The Stolls were both looking like they wanted to murder him. "Liar! Ryan said he saw you talking to Chiron earlier and then we got busted for a prank we didn't even do. Stay away from us Percy, if you know what's good for you!" Each of their words felt like he had been slashed with a sword. He turned around and went to the lake to cool off. Later when he returned to his cabin it was covered in seaweed. He opened his door to get hit in the face with a boxing glove. There was a note attached to the wall

"Never mess with the Stolls ever again"

Percy felt angry. This bastard son of Apollo was tearing his friends away from him and making the camp hate him. Percy just wished that they would eventually see what was happening before it was too late.

A/N: Here is the second chapter of Broken Guardian I hope you guys like it. I wanted to include some more detail as to why the campers were betraying Percy and not that they just assumed it was him as that always seemed a bit ridiculous to me also feel free to message me as to why you think I am using a son of Apollo (There is a valid reason and not just because the typical son of Zeus electrical impulse thing is way to overused) but anyway I do hope that all you guys will read and review as I am always looking for help to improve my writing. - Nightshade Guardian


	3. Chapter 3: A push to far

Chapter 3: A push too far

A/N: Hey guys! So far I have revived a really positive response to my story and I want to thank you guys as this is keeping me motivated to keep this story going. Also if any of you have suggestions/ offers I will always consider them as it is always really nice to have support. Anyways enough thanks you came here for chapter 3. Well here it is! -Nightshade Guardian

Disclaimer (just to be safe) I do not own PJO or HOO. It all belongs to Rick Riordan

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 **Third-person POV**

It had now been 2 months since the arogant bastard Ryan had turned up at camp and now he had succeded in turning most of camp against him. It had started with the minor gods cabins saying that Percy didn't respect their parents or thought that they were useless which turned out with most of them (the Hypnos cabin was too lazy to care) hating Percy. Then it has turned to his friends. First it was Katie and the Demeter cabin by somehow flooding their garden and blaming Percy. Next came the Stolls and the Hermes cabin by reporting their prank and convincing then it was Percy who told Chiron. Then came the Aphrodite cabin by convincing them that Percy had broken up one of their relationships whereas it was actually Ryan that destroyed the relationship. Then came the one betrayal that hurt the most out of all of these. Leo and the Hephestus cabin. Leo had came up to Percy, almost losing control of his flames, claiming that Percy had said that the reason the Argo II had broken appart was that Leo couldn't build it properly. He also claimed that he had cooled all the forges so that nothing could be made for a week. Percy felt like he was cracking with each of these losses and that one day soon he would be pushed too far and shatter. After each of these he would see Ryan nearby smiling smugly.

The people that stuck by Percy and claimed that he had never done any of this were: Chris, he and Percy had became good friends even though they had originally been in the side of Kronos in the second Titan war, Annabeth, recently though she had been acting slightly distant, and, surprisingly Clarisse, although they had not always seen eye to eye they respected eachother as proud and strong warriors. All the rest of the seven were currently living in New Rome as only Piper was Greek but since Jason was her boyfriend she was treated like a Roman while Nico was always busy in the underworld as he had been made the god of the honourably fallen and crowned Prince of the underwold at his father's insistance. Thalia was always with the hunt and rarely stopped by camp half-blood. Grover was always busy with his lots of the wild stuff and had less and less time to spend with him. This left Percy with very few people to talk to and now he was going to do something that could go either very well or very badly. He was going to ask Athena to allow him to marry her daughter.

Percy used his powers to create a list so that a rainbow could form. Throwing a drachma at the mist he asked "Oh Iris, godess of the rainbow please showe Lady Athena wherever she may be" the mist changed to show Athena seemingly reading in her palace. "Lady Athena" Percy called out. The godess looked slightly surprised then saw the iris message "hello Perseus, what do you want" she asked quite polite considering he was a son of Poseidon. "Lady Athena" he said in his politest voice. "I would like to ask your permission to marry your daughter, Annabeth Chase" once he had finished I looked at the godess waiting respectfully for an answer. "I was wondering of you would ask" She replied with a slight smile "and my answer is yes, you have proven time and time again that you would never abandon my daughter, you even dell into tartarus to try and protect her so you have my blessing and a gift, I expect that even a sea spawn like you knows how to make this special" as she finished a small, velvet box appears in his hands. "Open it" Athena said. He did. Inside was a simple silver band with engravings on each side of an owl and a trident and I'm the middle Sat a small pearl, not too large that it looked ridiculous but not too small so it looked insignificant. "Is there anything else you would like on it?" Athena asked. Percy looked it over and was about to say that it was perfect then he remembered what Annabeth said her dream was a long time ago in the sea of monsters. "There is one thing" said Percy.

He was set. He had put on a simple white linen shirt and navy blue trousers. He had attempted to comb his hair but it didn't seem to have any effect. He checked his pocket and made sure the engagement ring was still there. He then started to walk towards the small beach in the edge of camp half-blood where he had asked Annabeth to meet him. As he was nearing the place he had set up the small picnic for him and Annabet he heard some voices coming from his left. Curiosity got the best of him and he walked over to where he thought they were cimg from once he saw who it was and what they were doing he stopped and stared.

 **Aphrodite POV**

I was just walking about in my palace deciding what to wear when I want on my date with Ares later when I felt a massive plummet in my domain. I gasped "No. No it can't be" I said when I realised where this was coming from "this is not going to be good. Not at all" as i flashed away to where, inevitably the events that were about to occur would be discussed.

 **Percy POV**

When I saw who it was I stopped and stared. There lying on the sand was Annabeth and next to her was Ryan. Then I felt something inside me break as I watched her lean forward and kiss him right on the lips. "Hey Annabeth" I heard Ryan say "when are you gonna dump that looser Jackson, you know I'm way more awesome than him" I felt rage start to build in my chest. Unbeknownst to anyone the sea started to get violent as it reacted to Percy's overwhelming emotion. "I'll do it later" Annabeth said "he said he wanted to take me on a date a little way up the beach" I then stepped out from behind the sand fine I had been standing behind. "Don't bother about dumping me 'Wise girl' as of now we are done" I said in an icy cold tone and dead serious. Both of them spun round startled. When they saw me their expressions changed to one of fear and one of Triumph. "Percy what are you doing here?" I turned my glare in her. "I was coming to finish the preparations for our date but I didn't expect my girlfriend to be kissing another guy" her expression turned to anger "you care call me your girlfriend when you have been flirting and cheating with other girls for weeks now!" She practically yelled. At this I became furious. A large hurricane was forming arround them and was getting stronger by the minuet. "Let me guess, Ryan told you he saw me doing this and talking to a girl in an iris message" she nodded "and you just belived him? Dod you ever consider thst he was a LYING BASTARD? and that maybe I was actually talking to your mother to ask for her permission to mary you? Because, and you should know this better than anyone, my fatal flaw is loyalty" At this point the hurricane was massive and there was, at a rough estimate, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake which was causing everything to crack and be almost shatter at the sheer force of the winds. She stated at me in disbelief "What?" She whispered. I glared at her. "You heard me, I asked your mother for her permission to ask you to marry me and do you know what she said? She said that because I had fallen into tartarus to try and protect you I had proven myself to her. She even gave me the ring" At this I took out the velvet box and threw it on the ground. Ryan grinned "What you gonna do now Jackson? I turned the whole camp against you. Hell I even stole your Girl-" at this he suddenly shut up as I did something I had only ever done something similar to once before. I controlled something other than water. As I held out my hand, pointed at him I focused on controlling his blood. His grin suddenly faded to a terrified expression. "I know what you did, at first I didn't really care as i wasn't power hungry and didn't care about fame or attention but you crossed a line when you turned my friends against me. But you have just gone a push too far. For this you will suffer" at this I super heated his blood so it would feel like fire was burning in his veins. I cut it off after a few seconds. "If you ever come near me again I will not stop" I warned. After I let go of control over his blood I turned to Annabeth and said coldly "I guess you were right 'Wise girl' the children of Athena and Poseidon don't mix" after I said this I ran back to my cabin to pick up my stuff including mortal cash and drachmas. I picked up riptide and uncapped it. It instantly became the familiar bronze xiphos I received all that time ago when I was claimed. I then put the cap on the other end of it and it returned to being a pen, just like I was in Tartarus I wrote a quick note to Chiron and then ran into the forest, tears flowing freely down my face.

 **Annabeths POV**

How could I have been so stupid as to think he was cheating on me? His fatal flaw is loyalty but of course Ryan came and told me about what Percy had done I had just seemed to belive this to be the truth. I slowly walked over to where Percy had dropped the velvet box. With trembling hands I opened it what I saw made me sob. Inside was a beautiful silver ring with an engraving on each side of a trident and an owl. In the middle was a small pearl that was the perfect size for the ring. But what made me break down into tears was the engraving that was on the inside of the band. _''To last a thousand years - S.B'_

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 **A/N: And DONE! This is the longest chapter coming close to two thousand words. I am really happy with how this has turned out. Considering how the other two chapters were about five hundred and seven hundred words respectively I suprised myself at how long I managed to make this. Did any of you spot the hint I dropped about why Percy's friends betrayed him? If not look closely if you do please don't spoil it but if you do get it right then you can tell me how you feel about it when I post the next chapter and reveal it. As always I hope to update soon. Anyway I hope you have enjoyed the story so far and please, please, please! REVIEW! -Nightshade Guardian.**


	4. Chapter 4: The final straw

Chapter 4: The final straw

 **A/N Hey guys, recently I have really been wanting to write more and make much longer chapters so here is chapter 4 the final straw - Nightshade Guardian.**

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 **Third person POV**

Up on the 600th floor of the empire state building, in the magical city of olympus the throne room was in uproar. There had been a massive spike in the domains of Poseidon and Zeus. They were currently arguing about what could have caused it. In a corner of the room, by a small fire, sat a girl who looked about 8 years old quietly tending the flames. The girl, who of course was Hestia, suddenly stiffened and seemed to disappear into the flames. This went unnoticed by everyone except a silver eyed huntress who wondered why she had disappeared.

 **Percy POV**

I had stopped running now and just sat by a lake, crying. As I sat there I contemplated why the fates hated me. Ever since I had first been claimed my life had been no end of dangerous quests, losses and war. When I had first appeared at camp I had been sent to find Zeus's master bolt otherwise a war would break out between the gods, I had travelled across the country to find it only to find out I had been tricked by Ares then I had to beat him in a duel and fly back to New York and stop the war between the gods only to get back to camp to be betrayed by Luke. Then came the sea of monsters. Having to sneak aboard Luke's ship then take a lifeboat to Circe's island, getting turned into a guinea pig and then rescuing Grover from Poly-whatever. The list went on. As it did I felt so annoyed, could the fates not just give me a break. I decided to go to the one person who could help me. My mother. As I walked through Manhattan I noticed how everything seemed to be going on as normal. Sometimes the mortals had it easy. I walked up to my mum's apartment I felt a sense of dread as the door was slightly open. I walked in and what I saw made me snap. There was Paul with a sword in hand and a spear through his chest. Then, lying next to him was my mother. Standing above her, with her mismatched legs, was Kelli, the empousa. She turned round and saw me. "Oh hello Percy" she said "I only stopped by for a quick snack and I must say it was delicious" she cackled at this and that is when I ran forward, uncapping riptide as I did, and slamming her against a wall. "Who was it?" I growled angrily. Kelli smirked "my, my Jackson I never knew you liked to play rough" I sliced off her right arm. "WHO WAS IT? WHO TOLD YOU TO KILL MY FAMILY?" She was screaming at this point. "GAIA! She said that if she ever lost to track down your family" I snarled and stabbed her through her heart and watched as she crumbled into dust. Gaia. She took the best woman in the world from me. I rushed over to my mum, dropping riptide as I did. "mum, mum it's going to be okay" I sobbed as i felt her pulse weakening with each beat. She smiled up at me. "P..P.. Percy. We both know that it's my.. my time. Don't.. don't blame yourself you couldn't… couldn't have done anything. Just know that.. that you have made me the.. the happiest person" as she finished she became limp in my arms. She was dead. I threw my head back and screamed. I put her down and placed a drachma under her tongue for her passage into the underworld and did the same with Paul. As I stepped back I picked up riptide. I had nothing left to live for. I aimed it at my chest. As I did there was a small flash of flame before someone tackled me and knocked riptide out of my hands.

 **Hestia's POV**

As I sat tending the hearth and listening to the arguing between my two brothers I suddenly felt someone lose both home and hope. When I saw who it was and why I stiffened and dissolved Into flames. I arrived to see Percy Jackson aiming his sword at his own chest. I quickly tackled him and knocked his sword out of his hands. He looked at me and I saw something that made me sob. His sea-green eyes that usually were full of happiness and mirth were now full of pain, despair and loss. "Lady Hestia" he said in barely a whisper as I got off of him. "why did you stop me?" I forced myself to remain calm. "Because Percy there are still people that care about you and you can't let yourself for because of your mother's death. She would want you to be happy and live your life. What about your friends at camp?" as soon as I said this I noticed his face harden. "What about them?" he asked "they all deserted me for a new kid of Apollo. Even my own girlfriend" the last part was barely audible. I then realised why he was almost without hope. At this I just couldn't stop myself and pulled him into a tight hug. At first he was surprised then he just let himself cry and let out all his pain in my shoulder. After about five minutes he stopped crying and let go. "Thank you Lady Hestia as he got up and started to bow. I stopped him before he could. "you don't need to bow to me Percy. You gave me hope to look after in the second Titan war and claimed I was the last and most important Olympian for that you never need to bow or call me Lady ever again. You can always address me as Hestia" he smiled at this "thank you Hestia. Can you please take us to Montauk beach as I know that is where they would want to be buried" I nodded and transported us there.

 **Percy POV**

When Hestia transported us to the beach I immediately started to dig two graves by the cabin we used to stay in. When it was done I picked up the bodies, which Hestia had covered in some plain white linen, and placed them in their graves. "Mom, Paul. Thank you for making me the person that I am" as i said this I had tears streaming down my face. Hestia wrapped me in a supportive hug. She then helped me to cover the graves again. "Percy, come rest in my temple on olympus tonight. You need some rest" I nodded gratefully as she flashed us away. When we arrived she took me to a small room to the side where there was a single bed. I thanked her and went to sleep.

 **Hestia POV**

After Percy fell asleep I went back to the throne room where the meeting had ended a few hours ago. The only person left was Hera. When she noticed me she smiled, shrunk down to a her human size and walked over to me. "hello Hestia" she said "why did you leave the hearth?" I thought about what to tell her for a moment then decided on part of the truth. "I felt a loss in my domain and went to check what it was" Here frowned. "I have a feeling I know what you mean as i also have the domain of family and felt a drop in that earlier but couldn't go and see what it was as i was stuck in the meeting about what happened with Poseidon's and Zeus's domains" when she said that i decided to take her back to my temple as she could help with Percy's loss. "Yes that must be confusing. If you would come back to my temple I will tell you what happened" Hera looked slightly surprised then nodded as we both flashed to my temple. When we arrived I sat down and gestured for her to do the same. "Hera, I would like you to promise what you are about to learn will stay between us for now as i don't think it would be good to tell the other gods yet" she looked surprised then nodded. "I promise" I smiled "Thank you now this is what happened.." I spent the next hour telling her what had happened and why I had only just returned. When I had finished Hera looked sad as, even though he had not always been respectful towards her, she liked him for using his wish to help her family. A few minutes after I had finished telling her what had happened Percy walked out of the room I had given him looking slightly disheveled but stopped when he saw Hera. "Lady Hera" he said but you could still hear the pain in his voice.

 **Hera POV**

When I saw Percy I could clearly see the pain in his eyes. When he saw me he bowed. "Lady Hera" he said and I almost sobbed because of the pain in his voice. "Please just call me Hera Percy" he looked surprised then nodded. "Percy I would like to apologize to you" I said. He looked confused. "why?" he asked. "because I took away 8 months of your life also Hestia told me what happened and I have an idea if you would listen" he turned to Hestia. "why did you tell her?" he asked, he didn't seem offended more curious. "because she has the domain of family and the drop she experienced made her curious also I felt that she could help you" he nodded. "What is your idea Hera?" he asked. I took a deep breath and then spoke "me and hestia would become your mother and patron"

 **Percy POV**

To say i was surprised was an understatement. Hera, queen of Olympus, had offered to adopt me. I thought about it and the more I did the more I came to one definite answer. "would you let me be your mother Percy?" Hera seemed slightly nervous. I smiled for the first time since I left camp. "I would love to mom" she cheered and then rushed forward and wrapped me in a tight hug me. I hugged her back just as tightly. A brown glow surrounded us and was absorbed into me. We stepped back and she smiled. You now have my full blessing which allows you to see into and read people's minds of you are stronger than them or if they let you you can also see pictures of people's family if you touch them. I smiled. "thanks mum" she beamed at me then Hestia spoke up "would you also become my champion Percy?" I immediately knew what to say. "I would be honored" Hestia smiled and a warm orange light engulfed me then faded. "the power of the hearth has the ability to harm and heal" Hestia explained. "you can figure out what that means yourself" she said I smiled. "Thank you, both of you if it wasn't for you two I probably would be in my uncle's realm right now" they both smiled sympathetically.

"What are you going to do now Percy?" Asked Hestia. I thought about this. "I will disapear and, with your help, find demigods get to their respective camps or the hunters if they are female, after that im not sure. They both raised an eyebrow. "it's not important anyway most likely the gods will soon figure out what happened and they will search for me. I don't want to be found just yet so I will travel to avoid them while training with my powers and weapons and help the demigods" they both smiled. Hestia spoke up first. "if you are going traveling then you are not going without some gifts" I looked at them. "What gifts?" they smiled "you'll see" said Hera as they both waved their hands and I disappeared.

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 **A/N: That was chapter 4, slightly longer than the last one but it was mostly just small stuff and filler. Next chapter will be the big reveal of why Percy was betrayed and the council finding out what the spike in power was as for the gifts, you will see. The next chapter will be set in the council meeting. Anyway thanks for reading and as always please review - Nightshade Guardian**


	5. Chapter 5: The council meeting

Chapter 5: The council meeting

 **A/N: Hey guys i'm** **finally here with the next chapter. The one with the big reveal also I would like your opinions on the Hera thing. Hestia is cool but I feel Hera would have always wanted a demigod and since she is the goddes of family Percy would be the perfect choice as he gave up godhood to bring her family closer. Anyway enough rambling. On with the story here is chapter 5: The council meeting- N** **ightshade Guardian**

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Third person POV

It was the middle of a council meeting and Poseidon was yelling at Zeus and Zeus was yelling at Poseidon. There had been a massive disturbance in their domains. "For the last time Zeus, I have no idea what caused the disturbance in our domains the only thing I could think of Is a massive storm" "then what caused it!" After a short while of this Athena decided to step in. "Both of you please shut up!" Athena yelled at the two sons of Kronos. "Where was the disturbance centered?" She asked more calmly after they had shut up. They both shrugged and she barely resisted the urge to hit them. "I know where it was" a voice spoke up. Everyone turned to Hermes who had spoken up. "Where was it?" Enquired Athena. At this Hermes seemed fidgety and reluctant to answer. "Well?" Athena pressed. "Camp Half-blood" replied Hermes. "There was a huge hurricane and an earthquake that almost destroyed some of the cabins" "how do you know what happened at camp have you been visiting your kids against the ancient laws?" Hermes smirked. "No but if i'm doing my deliveries and the route just happens to go through camp then there is no harm" Poseidon frowned at the report on what happened. "A hurricane and earthquake, the only person that could cause that is Percy but it would require a lot of energy for him to cause that so what could have caused him to react so violently?" Questioned Poseidon obviously worried as it was well known Percy was his favourite son. Athena noticed Aphrodite was shifting in her throne. "Do you have an input Aphrodite?" Athena asked. "Annabeth cheated on Percy" she blurted out then immediately clapped her hands over her mouth. Athena narrowed her eyes "you're lying" she said "I gave him a ring to propose, she would never turn that down!" Aphrodite's eyes widened "oh gods, THAT'S why his heartbreak felt so total. He found her cheating when he was going to propose, I know I wanted to make his love life interesting but I never wanted that" Athena turned to Zeus "can you summon the campers here please?" Zeus nodded and a few minutes later all the campers were flashed in looking confused. "Campers!" Shouted Zeus "you have been gathered here today because of an incident that happened at camp and why Perseus caused it" at the mention of Perseus all of the campers eyes narrowed "why do we care about that bastard?" Spoke up Katie. Her mother, Demeter, frowned "Katie why do you address the hero of Olympus, twice, and your friend as such?" She asked. Katie scowled. "That bastard is NOT my friend" the throne room suddenly started shaking. Everyone turned to see an angry Poseidon. "What has my son done to you?" The tone of Poseidon's question made it clear. Watch what you say otherwise be fed to the kraken. Katie paled slightly then spoke. "He flooded my garden" then other campers started to speak up. "He broke our bows" cried someone from the Apollo cabin. "He said that the minor gods were useless" shouted someone from the Nike cabin. "ENOUGH" Shouted Clarisse. "He never did ANYTHING like that! I'm telling you that it was Ryan lying to all of you!" At this Ryan stepped up in front of the campers "don't listen to her she is just annoyed I drove her silly little boy toy out of camp, I saw that stupid fish do everything I said and heard him say all those things" as he said this a faint orange glow seemed to surround him. Apollo paled and before anyone could do it say anything else he shouted "Ryan Ben Lane, what have you done!" Ryan flinched "What are you -" he was cut of by Apollo snapping his fingers and Ryan had a gag in his mouth "I'm afraid that you are going to be quiet for now because if my suspicions are correct then you need to shut up" For once Apollo looked serious then turned to the council. "Ok I would like to explain why the campers have turned against Percy" he took a deep breath then started to speak "when I gained my domains I realised that if, in the future, I had children they could have a subtle but devastating power" Athena started to think, what domains did Apollo have? The sun, prophecy, healing and truth. Truth. When she thought about it there was a very subtle but very dangerous power that his children could inherit. Apollo then went and confirmed her suspicions. "My children could make people believe that everything they said was true" at this the council narrowed there eyes and glared at the son of Apollo who had just managed to get rid of the gag saw the gods glaring at him. "I can explain" he started before he was silenced by Clarisse charging him and pinning him to a wall. "You just had to be a self-centered selfish bastard didn't you?" He started to reply only for Clarisse to punch him in the face breaking his nose. She was about to punch him again when Apollo spoke up. "Leave him alone" Clarisse glared at the sun god. "Why should I? He made Percy's life a living Tartarus. I just hope that Percy forgives the campers when he comes back" "What do you mean forgive us? He is the one that did everything wrong!" Clarisse glared at the speaker who turned out to be Leo. "Oh really?" She turned to Apollo. "Remove the effect" Apollo nodded and ignored the fact he had been ordered by a demigod. An orange glow formed around the campers then faded away. All apart from Clarisse and Chris. Everyone of the campers suddenly realised what had happened and what they had done. Annabeth walked forward, earning glares from the gods and Clarisse. "Does that mean that he influenced our decisions?" She hoped that it was the case so it could mean she had an explanation to give to Percy if it came back. Apollo shook his head. "He never influenced your decisions just made you think what he said was the truth so you cheating on Percy is all your fault, sure he made you think he cheated on you but you knew his fatal flaw and never even bothered to ask him yourself and decided to cheat in revenge" Annabeth broke down into tears. The shadows in the room seemed to swirl together and out walked Hades. "Brother why have you interrupted this meeting?" Asked Zeus. "Because I don't believe Percy will be coming back to camp for a while" Poseidon and Zeus looked confused. "Why is that brother?" Asked Poseidon. "Because two souls just entered my realm that are of great importance to him and you" Poseidon looked slightly worried at this. "Who were they brother?" Hades looked at him with a sympathetic look. "Sally and Paul Blofis, Percy's mum and second step dad" at this the whole room looked shocked. Poseidon looked frantic, Sally had been a Queen among women and had brought out his best qualities while Paul had been a nice, respectful and fun man to hang around with. "Please brother" he said while running up to Hades and grasping his shoulders. "Please tell me you were mistaken!" Hades just sadly shook his head. "I personally checked when Charon said that those two souls had entered into DOA recording studios" Poseidon stumbled back and slumped into his throne, his head in his hands. "We have to find him" he croaked "after this he will have nothing left, we have to find him!" All the gods nodded then Zeus started to issue orders to various gods to do what they could to try and find him. He then turned to Artemis. "Artemis, while I know you dislike males can you please take you and your hunters out to look for him". She nodded "since this is Perseus I will make an exception, I still feel I owe him for taking the sky for me" Zeus nodded "council dismissed" he yelled then flashed away in a bolt of lightning. Then the remaining gods then flashed away leaving the campers alone before Hades waved a hand and the shadows wrapped around them and took them back to camp before Hades flashed away himself. The only trace of the campers being on Olympus was a crumpled note that had fallen out of Chiron's hands. A few hours later Hestia walked in and saw this note. She picked it up and when she read it she almost burst into tears as she felt so sorry for her new champion and guilty for not sending his loss of home earlier. The note read "dear Chiron, I'm sorry but I'm leaving camp. I can't stay in a place where all my happy memories have turned sour and all my friends turned into enemies by one selfish demigod. You will always be my mentor and part of my family but I have to leave. I'm sorry - Percy"

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A/N: and that is the council meeting down. I must say I don't feel like this was a very good chapter as I feel I lost inspiration in the middle of writing this and then regained it towards the end so kind of crap. Anyway there you have why the campers turned against Percy. I feel like it worked well with Apollos domains and I find the common electrical impulse power to be too overpowered. Anyway I will try and get a chapter up before next week but there is no guarantee but for now I hope you enjoyed and seriously I want to thank you guys. At last check I had 33 followers and 24 favorites on my story which is insane considering this is my 5th chapter so thank you and I will see you in the next chapter - Nightshade Guardian


	6. Chapter 6: The Man in Black

**A/N Hey guys really sorry for not updating in ages I just didn't really have any drive or inspiration for the chapter and didn't want to give you guys a half hearted chapter but finaly here is chapter 6: The man in black - Nightshade Guardian**

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Time skip 3 years

 **Third person POV**

It had been there years since Percy had disappeared from camp and not once had anyone given up on searching for him. The gods had scoured all of America lots of times and still found no trace of him anywhere. Camp Jupiter had been informed of what had happened to Percy and, even though he had originally been involved with the destruction of part of camp, he had gained their respect and they sent out regular patrols to search for their honorary preator but found nothing. But by far the most driven group was the hunters of Artemis. Their lieutenant Thalia was unforgiving when it came to searching for her lost cousin. She would push the hunters day and night to find any trace of him and there were very few smiles or laughs in the hunt anymore. Even Artemis seemed less focused as if Percy's disappearance had affected her in some way. The only time they ever thought they were close was when, six months after Percy vanishing into thin air, young girls were being delivered to the outskirts of wherever the hunters were camped. They would all tell horrible stories of hem being abused by their family and treated like a worthless piece of junk. Then they would say that a man in a long black trench coat with a hood **(T** **hink of the Organization XIII uniform)** would suddenly appear at their house and ruthlessly kill the people that has abused them without any form of hesitation or remorse but then talk to them in a calming and reassuring manner that he would help them and bring them to a new home. Thalia instantly thought it could be Percy but all the girls had given a different description of this person and none matched Percy's so it was impossible to tell.

One day the hunters, minus Artemis who was in a meeting, were wandering through a forrest somewhere in the north of America on the trail of a small group monsters that were causing trouble when they heard a few scrambles and scrapes in the surrounding undergrowth. Thalia held up a half to stop the rest of the hunters, who currently numbered about 25 excluding Thalia. The hunt stopped and watched Thalia to see what to do when suddenly a group of about 250 monsters walked out of the surrounding forrest, advancimg towards the hunters. The hunters reacted almost instantly drawing their bows and Thalia her spear and shield. "Damn" thought Thalia "if we make it through this then we are going to lose some hunters". Thalia then sent a lightning bolt into some hell hounds and charged.

 **?'s POV**

I was on my way to drop off a new recruit at the hunt when I heard the sound of bowstrings and roars to my left. Curious I told Amy, daughter of Nemesis, to stay in a tree untill I came to get her. She nodded and climbed a tree and was hidden from view. As I jumped through the trees I heard the sounds grow clearer untill I was almost certain the hunt were in the middle of a battle. I picked up the pace. As I burst into the clearing the hunt was in my blood went cold. About 15 hunters were lying on the floor, not moving, but what made my heart stop was that a figure with black spiked hair was on the floor and about to be flattened under a Cyclops club. I felt an anger rise up in my chest. I would not lose anyone else. Never again. I sent a massive fireball at the Cyclops and charged, unsheathing my twin curved daggers as I did.

 **Third person POV**

The fight had not gone well. As soon as the first volley of arrows had been let loose it was obvious that the hunters were out matched. They specialised in long distance combat and Even though they had hunting knives they were nowhere near as proficient with them as with their bows. It was five minuets before the first hunter was hit. It was one of the new hunters that they had recruited while lookimg for Percy. She was shot by a dracena in the back. The hunters couldn't even spend time to register this fact before two more went down. Thalia swore. This was going worse than expected. The fight continued for another 25 minutes before Thalia was knocked over. She had tried to use the moon charm that Artemis had given Thalia in case of emergencies. She thought she got the start of a message through then was slammed into a tree by a Cyclops club. As she looked up and saw the Cyclops about to swing she could help but think of the irony of the situation. She was about to be killed by a hord of monsters, again, but she doubted she would be turned into a tree this time. As the club began to descend she smiled and watched her impending death. Suddenly a ball of fire double the size of her head shot out from the trees and slammed into the club and knocked it out of the cyclopses hand. Then a figure in a long black trench coat with the hood up ran forward with curved daggers and charged the monsters as Artemis appeared in a glow of silver moonlight.

 **Artemis POV**

It was near the end of the meeting about this man in black who had appapparently been helping demigods get to both camps AND deliver maidens to the hunt. The decision was made to just watch and see what happens next when I saw a glow from the moon charm I wore on my wrist to signify if the hunt was in danger, the twin was on Thalia's wrist, when it suddenly stopped. My heart seemed to turn to ice as I quickly dissapeared in a flash of moonlight to where the message had come from. When I arrived I saw 15 hunters and Thalia on the floor and gasped, this didn't look good already as about 6 of them looked like they were in critical condition. I then see what seemed to be a small army of monsters being attacked by the very man the council had just been discussing, the man in black. I watched on in slight shock as he seemed to move with the grace of a hunter. Weaving through spear thrusts and club swings and mercilessly slaughtering any monsters that he came close to. A monster managed to sneak up behind him only to be burned into ash by a fireball that came from his outstretched palm. A few dracena slithered back into the forest and dissapeared in the shadows. The rest of the monsters were dispatched easily by the man quickly afterwards. After all the monsters were dead the man seemed to remain on guard for a minute then sheathed his two daggers. He turned round and saw me standing by the rest of the hunters who were trying to stabilise the 6 who were in critical condition. He did a half bow at me and adressed me politely. "Lady Artemis" his voice seemed distorted as if it was not just one voice speaking. I frowned and spoke. "Who are you male?" If he was offened by what I said he didn't seem to react. "I am no one important" again the voice was distorted. "But I would recommend that if you want those hunters to live you call your brother as soon as possible after I have left" I grinned with a feral smile. "And who said you could leave?" If he thought he would escape he was surely mistaken. He shrugged. "I did and I would appreciate it if you let me go without incident I wouldn't like to put lives at risk with my second option" at this the hunters surrounded him appart from Thalia who's leg appeared to be broken from hitting the tree behind her. "What was that about leaving male?" Snarled Phoebe. The man sighed. "I said I was planning on leaving without incident but you have forced my hand. _Sleep_ " he seemed to put more force into the last word and all the hunters surrounding him all seemed to just fall over, asleep. My eyes widened. "What did you do?" I demanded. It felt like the man was grinning. "Don't worry they are just sleeping and will be for about 10 minutes. I'm afraid that I must leave now. I will just drop off a new recruit and be in my way" I conjured two hunting knives in my hands. "You aren't going anywhere" he seemed to sigh again. "I'm really sorry but I have to go so you are just going to have to _Sleep_ " he seemed to put much more force into the word that last time and I felt myself start to slip into unconciousness i seemed to catch a quick glimps of one sea-green eye from underneath the black hood then everything went black.

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 **A/N: There was chapter 6: the man in black. Once again I am so sorry that it took so long for me to update but until recently I just have not had the time or inspiration to continue with the story and didn't want to give you a half-hearted chapter that would make you lose interest. Thank you guys so much for reading my fic as there are so many better ones out there but you chose to spend your time reading mine. As always please review as it is so uplifting to see people enjoying my writing as much as I enjoy telling this story and it always motivates me to update when I have reviews. Untill next time! - Nightshade Guardian**


	7. Chapter 7: Identity Revealed

**A/N: Hey guys i'm back with the seventh chapter (finally) sorry it took so long. I really hope you guys enjoy it as I am trying to write longer and better chapters but can't guarantee. Anyway here is chapter 7: Identity revealed - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Artemis POV**

I woke up in the same clearing as before with all of the hunters still lying in the ground though they looked to be in slightly better shape than before as some of the worse injuries seemed to be lessened to a point where they weren't life threatening. Unfortunately I still needed help to heal the hunters and there was only one god that could help. I stood up, swaying slightly then regaining my balance, then shouted. "Apollo!" I disliked calling my brother for help but I had no choice. A few seconds later he appeared, smiling as always. "Hey Arty, you called?" I had to resist hitting him. "Yes I called but _don't_ call me Arty. I need you to heal the hunters" he shifted his gaze over to them and immediately shifted into a much more serious doctor mode and walked over to them.

After a few minutes he stood back up and walked over to me. "It's weird, but it seemed as if someone lessened the worst injuries" my thoughts immediately went to the mysterious man in black and the glimpse of his eye. Could it be him? Apollo carried on. "I still need to take them back to my palace to treat them properly but they should all make a full recovery" I breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok fine, let's go" I said then I flashed into my brothers palace. When I arrived the hunters were already being placed on to hospital beds and being prepped for treatment. Apollo glanced up. "Don't worry about the hunters Arty, I'll have them healed soon" I glared at him. "You better and DON'T call me Arty" I then walked away heading towards the throne room.

When I walked through the doors the throne room was empty apart from Hestia tending the hearth as always. I summoned my bow in my hand and shot a silver arrow into the sky where it exploded in silver sparks, signaling I was calling an emergency meeting. About 5 minutes later all of the council had flashed in, excluding Apollo who was still treating the hunters, all looking at me with curiosity. "Why have you called this meeting Artemis?" asked Demeter. I took a deep breath and spoke. "The hunt was attacked" at this a majority of the council became worried as almost all of them had children in the hunt. "Is my daughter alright?" Zeus asked quickly, obviously worried. I nodded. "She and the rest of the hunters will be fine and are currently being treated in Apollo's palace hence why he is absent. However most of them would be dead at this moment were it not for the mystery man in black" All of the council were suddenly paying attention as this man had saved lots of their children over the past few years. "What happened?" enquired Hera "To take a guess" I replied. "The hunt were probably walking through the forest in search of what was probably meant to be a small group of monsters When they were ambushed by a much larger group." All the gods seemed to be worried and wondering at how bad the hunters were injured. "They were not doing well but my lieutenant managed to get a message through to me. I flashed there as soon as possible and saw my lieutenant about to be killed by a cyclops" Zeus paled and listened even more intensely. "Then the man in black appeared from the trees and sent a fireball at the cyclops, burning it to ash where it stood, and then went on to slaughter all of the remaining monsters, of at least one hundred, without even a scratch" everyone seemed shocked at my revelation. "Just this one man?" asked Ares. I nodded. He grinned. "That should be fun" everyone else rolled their eyes and groaned at Ares's antics as, even though he was the god of war, he was not the toughest opponent you could face, Percy beat him when he was twelve for Zeus's sake. "Then what happened?" asked Zeus, evidently thankful that his daughter was unharmed. "Some of the hunt and I tried to stop him leaving then he just put me and the rest of the hunt to sleep with just one word" everyone seemed shocked while Athena looked in deep thought. "So you said he used fire and put you to sleep Artemis?" Athena asked. I gritted my teeth. "Yes" I replied. I dislike being overpowered. "So he used fire and what seems like magic" everyone looked at Athena, waiting for answers. "The only two gods on Olympus whose children would have control over fire would be Hephaestus and Hestia. Hestia is a sworn maiden and Hephaestus claims that Leo is his only child that is a fire user so how does he have fire powers?" at this I remembered Hestia flashing out of a meeting a few years ago and had a sneaking suspicion as to who gave this man power over fire. I decided to voice my opinion. "I think that my Aunt has some explaining to do, don't you Hestia?" everyone turned quizzically towards Hestia. She sighed and stepped away from the hearth and walking towards the council. "Yes. This person is my champion" Poseidon quickly spoke up. "Who is he?" it was evident that he was hoping it was Percy. "I will not say. We swore on the Styx we wouldn't reveal his identity without his permission" Athena then spoke up "You said we. Who is his other patron?" Hestia then slapped her head. "Styx." Hera then stepped off her throne. "I am" Zeus looked angry. "What?" he bellowed. "You became the patron of a demigod without my permission?" She rolled her eyes. "Please, you have had so many demigods I feel I can at least become one's patron" Zeus anger seemed to lessen as he seemed to think about this. He sighed. "you're right. I guess it's better than having your own demigod. I apologize" Hera looked surprised. It seemed Percy had made a bigger impact on Zeus than she thought "Thank you" I quickly spoke to Hera. "Can you summon him here, I think the council need to meet him" Hera glanced over to Hestia who nodded and then spoke. "I will bring him here but you all must swear on the Styx to not to force him to reveal his identity. I need to ask him some questions" she mumbled the last part. "Fine" Zeus said. "I swear on behalf of the council not to force Hestia and Hera's Champion to reveal his identity on the Styx" Thunder rumbled signaling it was binding Hera nodded then She then closed her eyes and concentrated.

After a few minutes a black haze formed in the middle of the throne room and out stepped the mystery man. When he saw where he was he muttered something under his breath then bowed. "Milords and Ladies" his voice still sounded multiplied like before. Hera looked startled then glared at him. "Where have you been?" she yelled. He flinched at this and I smirked. At least he seemed afraid if something. "I was about. Learning new things and helping get demigods to their camps or the hunt" before Hera could ask any more questions Hestia walked up to him. "The council would like to meet you" he nodded and then spoke. "Hello" I then walked up to him and glared. "Why were you near the hunt earlier male?" he nodded his head at me and then spoke. "Lady Artemis. I was near the hunt as I was dropping off a new recruit. That reminds me" he waved his hand and mist formed beside him and a young girl of about 8 stepped out and attempted to hide behind his leg. "Lady Artemis, this is Amy, daughter of Nemesis" I crouched down to her level. "Hello Amy, I'm Artemis, it's nice to meet you" the girl seemed to glance up at the man before gingerly moving forward. "Amy would like to join the hunt as doesn't have a good experience with men" I glanced curiously up at him and saw two sea-green eyes looking down at me. It had to be him. "If so, why does she trust you?" he shrugged. "I took care of the problem" I was slightly taken aback at this but nodded. "Ok she can join the hunt if that is what she wants." she nodded. "Ok then, repeat after me" I then went on to recite the hunter's oath and accepted her pledge when she had finished repeating. She then went back and stood behind the mystery man.

I stood up to my full height of 5'10 and looked at the man. "Just who are you?" he didn't do anything for a moment then replied in that same multiplied voice. "I'm nobody important. But if you want a name you can call me Invel" he seemed guarded. Hestia then spoke up "You should tell them your real name, you can't hide for ever" he sighed, nodded then muttered something under his breath again. "Fine" this time the voice wasn't multiplied and seemed oddly familiar. He then reached up and pulled down his hood to reveal a mop of unruly black hair and familiar sea-green eyes. "Percy?" gasped Poseidon. He had missed his son dearly these last few years. He smiled. "Hi dad, it's been a while" Poseidon then jumped off his throne, shrinking down to human size as he did, and ran forward and crushed his son in a massive hug. Percy seemed to tense up then relaxed and hugged Poseidon back. "Where were you and why did you leave camp?" Poseidon asked once they had finished hugging. as soon as he said this I noticed Percy's eyes seemed to fill with pain. Was what happened with the daughter of Athena still bothering him? "There were a few reasons that I would rather not go into" Poseidon looked sad. He obviously knew about Annabeth but he had picked up on the fact there seemed to be more than that. "We can talk about that another time then but why not come to Atlantis?" Percy cast his eyes downward. "I didn't want to cause trouble with Amphitrite and Triton" Poseidon grasped him in another hug. "Did you really think that?" he almost sobbed. "Yes." he muttered softly. "I didn't want to go somewhere I wasn't wanted" at this another flash of pain seemed to light up his eyes. I remembered then the story that was told by the campers about what Apollo's brat Ryan had done and realised how deeply this had affected him His fatal flaw was loyalty after all but had Poseidon forgotten? After Poseidon finally let go of him Percy spoke to the council again. "Now that this is over can I go now?" Zeus was about to answer when Hera butted in. "Not a chance. You have explaining to do. When did you learn magic!" Percy muttered something under his breath which sounded suspiciously like cursing. "I became the champion of Hecate after saving some of her children that would have been killed by monsters and she taught me how to use her power over magic" Hera seemed satisfied with this until she seemed to pause then glared at Percy. "Why did you introduce yourself as Invel" Percy responded quickly to that. "I had to come up with a name as lots of the kids would ask so I decided on Invel, based on the Spanish word for winter" something seemed off about that but I dismissed it. Zeus then spoke up. "I feel that this council cannot have you disappear again Perseus so we would like to give you something to do so that we know where you are and what you are doing" he nodded. That was odd, I thought he hated being called Perseus. "Ok. What would you suggest?" Zeus glanced over to me and I realised what he wanted to suggest. "No. Not a chance" I yelled Percy looked confused. "What?" He asked. Zeus then replied with exactly the suggestion I thought he might. "If the council agrees, I would like to appoint you as Guardian of the hunt" I flipped. "No. I will not have a male guarding the hunt. We can take care of ourselves perfectly fine!". "Not according to today" remarked Ares and I shut up as it was true. "All in favor of making Perseus the Guardian of the hunt" all of the council raised their hands. I scowled. "Fine. But if he so much as looks at the hunters funny I will castrate him" He seemed to pale at this. "It's decided" said Zeus. "Perseus will now serve as the Guardian of the hunt until further notice"

After this everyone flashed out apart from Hera, Hestia, Poseidon and me. Hera walked up to him and enveloped him in a hug. That was odd. Hera had said that she was one of his patrons but I had no idea they were that close. "You better Iris message me sometimes and tell me about what's going on" Percy smiled at this, he seemed much more relaxed with Hera than with Poseidon. "I will don't worry m- Hera" she smiled then flashed out. Hestia walked up next. "The same goes for me. I want to know that you haven't been killed alright?" he laughed at this. Why did he seem so much at ease with Hera and Hestia yet almost frightened of his father? "Don't worry, i'll be fine but I promise I will call you sometimes" Hestia smiled, hugged him once more then she went back to tending the hearth. Poseidon then walked up towards Percy and enveloped him in another massive hug yet again he seemed to tense up just being near his father but hugged him back nonetheless. "Remember to come and visit Percy, Amphitrite and Triton have changed since you last saw them and actually helped to search for you when you disappeared" Percy smiled. "I promise I will try and visit soon but I feel I will be very busy trying not to be castrated for a few months" Poseidon smiled as it seemed like some of the old Percy was breaking through. "Please be careful Percy, I only just got you back, I can't lose you again" Percy smiled again. "Dont worry dad, I promise to be careful" Poseidon gave his son one last hug then dissipated into a sea breeze.

Percy turned to me. "Lady Artemis" he said. I sighed. "While I am not happy about this decision I suppose I must tolerate your presence from now on. Before I go check on the hunters I want to lay down some ground rules for your stay in the hunt" he nodded. "Ok what are there rules Lady Artemis?" I sighed again. "First off just call me Artemis, I'm not fond of the titles while not being prayed to" Percy looked confused. "But the hunt always call you Lady Artemis and if I am to stay with them for a length of time without being castrated I think they would want me to show you the proper respect" I smiled at this. He wasn't as dumb as other Males. "The hunt will accept it, they just refuse to call me anything but Lady, it can get annoying. Secondly, no flirting with the hunters" at this his eyes seemed to darken slightly. "Don't worry about that La- Artemis. I swear on the styx to not flirt with any of your hunters" thunder rumbled in the sky, signifying the oath was binding. To say I was surprised was an understatement. "Why did you do that?" I asked, I was genuinely curious. "To show that I would never betray you or the hunt" Again I was surprised. Did he really care about the hunt that much? "Okay. next rule is that you have to do whatever me and Thalia say while staying with the hunt, within reason anyway" He nodded. "That is perfectly fine" I had half expected him to complain about that but it seemed not. "Last rule is that when we move you will help to pick out the camping site as when we searched for you we could never find yours so i'm assuming you know good locations" He smiled at this. "That seems fine and if you would like I can train any hunters that are willing in close quarters weapons as that currently seems to be their weakness" I was shocked. He had picked up on that from just one fight? "If any hunters are willing that's fine" He nodded. "Ok. Do you want me to wait at your campsite for you and the hunters to return?" I thought about this. The hunters would probably not take kindly to a male walking into where they were being healed especially if said male had incapacitated all of them with one word. "That is probably for the best but wait until I tell the hunt what is happening before revealing yourself. Unless you want to be used as human target practice?" He chuckled at this and I saw that underneath the mystery he was shrouding himself in, he was still one of the only men to ever gain my respect and tolerance. "No thanks, it happened before and i'm not very fond of it" as he said this he rested his hand on his left shoulder subconsciously. What was he not telling me? "If you're sure" I replied and flashed away to Apollo's palace to collect the hunters.

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 **A/N: I am Finally done. Thank you guys for being patient with me while I wrote this chapter it took a long time for me to find the right way to introduce Percy and you can be sure that there is a reason why he chose that fake name but you will just have to wait and see. Until next time - Nightshade Guardian**


	8. Chapter 8: A Shocking Reunion

**A/N: Hey guys. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter as I really enjoyed writing it and it was the longest chapter yet, just over three thousand words. Anyway I hope you enjoy this next chapter: A Shocking Reunion - Nightshade Guardian.**

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 **Third Person POV**

The mood in Apollo's palace was definitely not a good one. Once the hunters had woken up and saw where they were, most of them, appart from Thalia and some of the new hunters, tried to make excuses that they were fine and sneak out of the palace. Needless to say they were stopped by Apollo each time and he eventually had to strap some of the hunters to their beds to stop them trying to escape every five minutes. Most of the hunters had been healed and were impatiently waiting to get the Hades out of there when Artemis arrived looking slightly annoyed. "Hey Arty, what's up?" Apollo received a withering glare from his 'Little sis'. "What's up is that I demand that you untie my hunters and finish healing them before a shove an arrow where you don't shine for calling me Arty" Apollo paled immensely at this, clicked his fingers releasing the bound hunters then rushed over to Thalia and three other hunters and immediately his hands glowed gold and all the cuts and bruises on the hunters closed up and disappeared and then Thalia's leg shifted back into a normal position with an audible grating sound while Thalia looked slightly pale but then returned to normal. "There we go" Apollo remarked "All expenses paid for by Olympus health" he grinned and then Artemis punched him. "Oww, what was that for?" Artemis glared at him. "For the stupid remark but thank you for healing them. Hunters get ready to leave, we are going to camp in 5 minutes" the hunters all but leaped off their beds and ran to Artemis, wanting to get out of the palace as soon as possible. The only person that walked was Thalia as she didn't want to injure her leg since it had only just been healed. Once Thalia had reached Artemis all the hunters joined hands with each other and Artemis and waited for Artemis to flash them to their camp.

When they arrived Artemis spoke up. "Hunters I need all of you to sit down now" Some of the hunters looked confused but obeyed her command anyway. "What is it milady?" asked Thalia once everyone had sat down. Artemis sighed and then started to speak. "While you were all being treated in my annoying brother's palace I called an emergency council meeting to discuss what happened to you" at this some of the older hunters started to shuffle their feet in shame at how easily a group of monsters had beaten them and half expecting to be chewed out by Artemis. Artemis then continued. "The council talked about what to do and who this mystery man was who saved you" At this the hunters, except from Thalia and some of the hunters rescued by this mystery man, looked angry about being saved by a male. "Athena worked out that this man had to be the champion of one or more of the gods because of the powers that he showed and then one of his patrons stepped forward and explained that he was her champion" Thalia interrupted. "Which god was it?" it was rare that the gods took champions now that they all had children. Artemis glared at her for interrupting. "That doesn't matter right now. The council then demanded that this man be summoned. His patron agreed but said that they had sworn on the styx that they wouldn't reveal his identity then another god stepped forward and revealed themselves as another of his patrons and said if they did summon this man to meet the council they must swear not to force him to reveal his identity. Zeus then swore on behalf of the council that we wouldn't force him to reveal his identity. His patrons then summoned him and, as it turns out, this man was the one saving the campers and delivering some of the girls that would join the hunt to our campsites" at this some of the mentioned girls seemed to suddenly pay much more attention than before. "He then introduced himself with a fake name and promised that he had no bad intentions towards Olympus. Then one of his patrons told him that he should tell the council his real name as he couldn't hide it forever. He then revealed who he was and then Zeus claimed that he wanted to keep an eye on him" Thalia seemed curious. "What did he do?" she asked, it was not lost on her that Artemis seemed to be in a bad mood. "He assigned him as a Guardian of the hunt" At this chaos broke out.

 **Percy POV**

I was waiting at the hunter's campsite for Artemis to flash in with the hunters and after about half an hour of waiting and showing Amy around the campsite I saw a silver glow in the middle of the camp. I immediately had Amy go and sit down behind a tree and hid myself with magic. I leaned against a tree just to the side of where the hunters were listening to what happened in the council meeting. When Artemis told them that I had been assigned to be a Guardian of the hunt the whole hunt erupted into chaos. There were mixes of reactions from fury to curiosity and some of the hunters looking around the campsite to see if they could find me. Thalia spoke up. "Where is this Guardian?" I smirked and decided to have a little fun. I crept up right beside Thalia and whispered in her ear. "Why I'm right here" I then dropped the magic that I was using to hide me. Thalia screamed and jumped about a foot in the air while I was laughing my head off. Artemis glared at me and suddenly all of the hunt had their bows aiming straight at me. "Who are you _boy_?" snarled Phoebe. I smiled under my hood, looks like neither her or Thalia remembered my voice. "I don't have to tell you who I am" I replied, I wasn't going to reveal who I was without first having some fun. It had been a long time since I had fun. "Fine _boy_ , looks like we will just have to shoot you and rip off that stupid hood of yours" I smiled again. "You can always _try_ " then I started to weave and dodge as a volley of arrows was shot at me. Not a single one made contact. "Enough!" yelled Artemis and immediately all the hunters stopped launching arrows. "Was that entirely necessary?" she asked. I shrugged. "Probably not but it has been a long time since I have had that much fun so I didn't want to waste an opportunity like that" Artemis sighed "Fine. looks like I won't turn you into a guinea pig this time" She smirked as she said this and I paled. How had she known about that? Thalia, having calmed down, heard this and suddenly looked at Artemis. "Why a guinea pig and not a jackalope?" Artemis smirked "Given his past experience as the animal I thought it would be a more effective threat" at this Thalia was puzzled. "Past experience?" I decided to drop the charade and just tell her, I couldn't keep this up forever. "Really Pinecone face? I was sure I told you that one" Something seemed to click and she turned around and looked at me with a thunderous expression. "You better start running" and then she pointed at me and the sky started to cloud over with thunder clouds. I decided to push my luck. "Is that really anyway to greet an old friend?" and flicked down my hood.

Thalia's expression only darkened. "Three years" a lightning bolt slammed into the ground and Thalia seemed to be alive with electricity. "Three, fucking years Jackson! Where were you and did you even stop to consider what Annabeth might have felt?" the smile slid from my face and was replaced with a facade of calm. I turned to Artemis. "You didn't tell her?" Artemis shook her head. "I never found it necessary so I never told any of the hunt anything about what happened" I realised that this meant what happened to my mother too. I turned back to face Thalia. "Personally I don't care what or how she felt" I could easily see the shock on Thalia's face when I said this and saw it change to one of pure fury. "You better start running Jackson, I mean it!" a lightning bolt crashed just beside where i was standing. I decided there was only one way to end this and was about to do something then Artemis stepped in. "Unfortunately for you I can't have you injure our new 'Guardian' on his first day so I would advise you to calm down" Thalia stopped crackling with electricity and sent me one last withering glare before sitting down with the hunters. "You better have a good explanation Jackson or you are going to be visiting Apollo very soon" I decided to tell her only part of the story. "Lets just say that before I left things did not end on good terms with her or any of the camp" Thalia's expression changed from one of anger to one of confusion."What happened?" "Someone decided to test my limits and I am sure they didn't like what they found" I then turned to Artemis to effectively avoid anymore of Thalia's questions. "What would you like me to do?" She thought for a moment then replied. "It is getting late now so just make sure the camp is safe then set up a tent for yourself and call Amy so she gets a tent as well and tomorrow I will give you a list of chores to do. If you are to stay here you can earn your keep" I nodded and bowed. "Amy, you can come out now" Amy then walked out from behind the tree where she had been hiding and stood nervously in front of the the hunters then rushed forward to meet their new sister with smiles on their faces.

While they were talking I overheard Phoebe talking to Amy. "You need to be careful around him, you never know what he might try" at this I was annoyed at this. Did the hunters really think so low of me? I started to head towards a raised rock on the edge of the camp, this would allow me to see all of the hunters tents but still give them their space, to set up my tent and then I heard another of Phoebe's comments that cut deep. "You can't trust him, he will let you die just like he let Zoe and Bianca die" I clenched my fist and sped up my walking so I couldn't hear them anymore. Why did they have to talk about those two? The two deaths I felt the most guilty about. I reached the rock and took a small cube of brown fabric out of my pocket where it was resting next to Riptide. I placed it down and stepped back while it started to unfold and expand. When it stopped it had become what looked like a regular brown tent. I smiled, remembering when Hera had given me this gift after she found out I had been sleeping in trees. I stepped inside and was greeted by the familiar sight of the large living area with a bed to one side and a storage cabinet and desk. On the other side was my weapon rack. Currently on the rack were two Shinai and two fencing sabers and a sheathed Katana was leaning against the wall beside the rack. The rest of the space was occupied with a kitchen and table. I walked over to the bed and sat down, thinking about what had happened today. I had become the Guardian of the hunt. Why Zeus thought this was a good idea I don't know but I would be lucky to last a day without the hunters trying to murder me just for the fact that I was male. I sighed. I doubt Zeus will change his mind any time soon so no choice but to deal with the fact I could be murdered at any time. Still, at least now I could stop another person close to me from dying. I will not let that happen ever again. I thought back to that day nearly 4 years ago. Now I was stronger and I can do something about the monsters and crazed gods that wanted to get their revenge at being beaten by a lowly demigod. Then there was the disturbance. Recently more and more monsters had been showing up and demonstrating what seemed like tactics. Larger groups going after lone demigods. Creeping around cities as if gathering information and then disappearing into the shadows whenever anyone got close. Then there was the attack on the hunters. Near three hundred monsters had ambushed them as if trying to either kill or severely injure as many as possible. I let out a groan. All these questions could wait for another day. Right now, all I needed was sleep.

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 **A/N: Sorry for the wait but there you go. Chapter 8 and Percy is finally the Guardian of the hunt and while this is a Pertemis story it will be a while before the relationship develops. This chapter was slightly shorter than the last one but it is helping to get the story moving so hopefully I can soon introduce some new things I hope you guys will enjoy - Nightshade Guardian**


	9. Chapter 9: A Frosty First day

**A/N: Hey guys I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and how I wrote the reunion as I thought that since Thalia had no idea what happened she would be mad at Percy for abandoning Annabeth but hopefully in this chapter they can repair that relationship. Now onto the chapter - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Percy POV**

I woke up hanging upside down from a tree. That was odd. How did the hunters manage to move me without waking me up. I heard laughing below me and saw Thalia and some of the other hunters standing there. "Very funny Thals, but can you let me down now?" she laughed again. "Not a chance Kelp head. We will let you down when we want to" I sighed. Looks like I would have to get out of this myself. I summoned a fireball in my hand and used it to burn through the rope. I dropped to the floor and stood up to the glare of Thalia. "If you will excuse me I have to go and receive my chores from Artemis" I then walked past them and headed back towards the main camp.

 **Artemis POV**

He was late. The stupid male was late. His first day on the job and he was already late. I was about to go and look for him when he stumbled out of the trees at the edge of the camp. That was odd. His tent was on the opposite side. I noticed that he had some dust on his legs and in his hair as his hood was down. The hunters must have pranked him. "You are late Perseus" he groaned. "Sorry I slept in" odd. He didn't place the blame on the hunters. "Ok but don't let it happen again." He nodded. "The chores you will be doing today are: Cooking breakfast for me and the hunters, washing the hunters clothes, sharpening arrows and knives and training in an area I will set up for you and the hunters. Any questions?" He thought for a second then shook his head. I was surprised. Even some of the hunters would have complained "Good then I suggest you get going as the hunters will be waiting for their breakfast at the main tent" he nodded and we headed towards where the hunters would be waiting.

When we arrived the hunters were looking grumpy. "Hurry up _boy_ " Phoebe almost snarled. Why was she so hostile? Percy didn't even blink at the comment and just produced a notepad and pencil seemingly from nowhere. "What would you like for breakfast then?" "Well _boy_ , I would like scrambled eggs with bacon, sausage and mushrooms with a glass of Apple juice so hurry up and make it!" I might have to to talk to her about being more polite to Percy if he was going to be cooking breakfast from now on. Percy just wrote down what Phoebe had said in his note pad, put it in his pocket then clicked his fingers and Phoebe's order appeared in front of her. "What is this _boy_?" Percy sighed. "Your food" he said with a sarcastic tone. "How do I know you haven't poisoned it _boy_?" Percy sighed again. "I swear on the Styx that your food is exactly how you ordered it and I haven't tampered with it in any way" there was a rumble of thunder in the distance and Phoebe seemed to be waiting for something bad to happen to him. When nothing happened she took a small bite and her face seemed to light up. "How is the food?" asked Thalia. "I will give him this" Phoebe said "His food is quite good, for a male" while saying this she just kept shovelling food into her mouth. Percy pulled out his notepad and pencil again. "What would everyone like?" he asked and immediately all the hunters asked for the same thing. "Ok, ok. Give me a second" he said. He then seemed to concentrate and then clicked his fingers and a huge buffet of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and mushrooms appeared in the middle of the table with two big jugs of apple juice. "How on earth did you manage this?" asked Thalia. Percy smiled slightly and then replied. "A perk of being the champion of Hestia" Thalia immediately looked at him with puzzlement on her face. "How did you become Lady Hestia's champion?" Thalia asked and Percy's face seemed to suddenly switch to one of pain and loss then just as suddenly switch back to normal. If I wasn't used to seeing small and sudden changes I wouldn't have even noticed "Something happened after I left and Hestia offered to become my patron to help" He must have been talking about what happened with his parents. Thalia seemed to want to ask more questions but Percy just walked away and sat under a tree.

A few minutes later he stood up again and walked round to the far end of the table where one of the youngest members of the hunt, Lisa, was sitting and not eating. Percy crouched down and started to speak to her in a calm and friendly voice. "Hi there, would you like something to eat?" she nodded and he smiled. "Well what would you like?" she thought for a moment and then blurted out. "Sausage and poached eggs" she then clapped her hands over her mouth as if expecting to be hit. Percy just smiled and clicked his fingers and a plate of sausages and poached eggs appeared. She looked at the food and tentatively took a bite and her face immediately lit up and she started to shovel food into her mouth. I started to feel some respect for Percy as he was trying to be kind and respectful and neither me or the hunters had managed to get Lisa to talk to us.

Percy smiled and then turned to me. "I almost forgot, what would you like Artemis?" I thought for a moment, looking round at all the hunters they all seemed to be enjoying the food immensely. "I will have the same as the hunters please" he nodded and clicked his fingers and a plate exactly the same as the rest appeared. I took a small bite and was surprised at how good it tasted. "How is it?" he asked. "Not bad, Thank you". I expected a sarcastic remark about receiving a compliment from the man hating goddess but he only smiled and walked away. "Where are you going?" I asked. "To start washing the hunters clothes" before I could respond he had headed of to the river and picked up the basket of clothes. In my head I thought of the question I had been about to ask. Why didn't you eat with us?

 **Percy POV**

I couldn't stay there. It reminded me too much of my parents and eating with them. I picked up the basket with the hunters clothes in and headed towards the stream nearby. When I arrived I placed down the basket and chucked some of the clothes into the river and started to swirl them about to imitate a washing machine. After a few minutes I stopped the swirling and pulled them out the water and wrung them out to dry them as much as possible then made all remaining water in them evaporate out and folded them into a neat pile and placed them in the clean bag. This went on for nearly two hours all the while just repeating the same process over and over again. Once I left to have a short stretch of my legs and when I came back most of the clothes in the clean bag had been chucked into some mud. I noticed Phoebe and Atlanta walking away laughing. I gritted my teeth and started to wash them again. After three more hours I was finally done with the washing apart from one bag which I wouldn't touch. I picked up the basket and headed back to camp.

When I got there the hunters were training in an arena to the side of camp while Artemis was standing a little bit away watching. I walked up to Artemis and coughed so I could get her attention. She turned round and saw I had the basket. "Finished Perseus?" "Mostly but I decided I don't want the hunters to try and turn me into a human pin cushion again so I didn't touch their underwear." Artemis raised an eyebrow "Are you sure? The hunters would love a moving target Perseus" "somehow I still think they will get one" I muttered under my breath "No i'm not a fan of being used as target practice" Artemis nodded "Ok Perseus, I will have one of the hunters do that in a bit. I sighed. "Can you please not call me Perseus?" "Does it annoy you?" I glared at her "You know it does" she smiled "Then I will continue to call you that" I sighed "Fine. what next?" I thought I saw a flash of surprise on her face but it was replaced with a smile. "Now you get to train with the hunters. Hunters!" at this all the hunters stopped what they were doing and walked over, some sending me spiteful looks. "Since you are all warmed up I think we should have some fun" the hunters seemed to be smiling and I could guess what the fun was. "Our guardian here will be fighting some of you, who wants to go first?"

Thalia shot up. "I am so going to kick your ass kelp head" her remark didn't seem playful more violent. I sighed. "Fine. how do you want to do this?" Thalia smirked. "No restrictions kelp head, any weapons and powers" I nodded and put the basket down. "Ok then, let's go" and started walking towards the middle of the arena.

When I got there I took Riptide out my pocket and uncapped it. The familiar bronze xiphos appeared in my hand and I drew one of my daggers from its' sheath on my waist and got into a combat stance. Then I heard a cold whisper like a gust of icy wind seemingly asking a question and I shook my head. I wouldn't show them all my powers just yet. Thalia stood opposite me waiting as Artemis announced the rules of the fight. "There is no restrictions on powers but no throwing weapons are allowed. The match will end when either one person is unconscious, yields or receives a deathblow withheld. Begin!" Thalia rushed forward and a lightning bolt hit her spear electrifying it. That was new. She lunged forward aiming for my heart. I quickly dodged to the side and swung Riptide upwards aiming to disarm her but she swept her spear to the side so I wouldn't hit it then drove it downwards towards me. I jumped backwards to avoid the spear and shouted out to Thalia "Come on Thals you can do better than that" she sent a lightning bolt at me and then charged. Seemed like I might have to show some of my new tricks. I quickly made a wall of ice in front of me and the lightning bolt was earthed while Thalia looked, ironically, shocked. I used her confusion to quickly run and knock her spear out of her hands. "Pay attention Thals otherwise you'll lose" as I said this I sent my dagger down aiming for her neck but she quickly brought Aegis out and blocked it. I jumped backwards as a gust of wind brought the spear back into her hand and she re-electrified it. I smiled. I put my dagger back into its sheath and ran towards Thalia. She smirked, thinking that I had gone mental, and raised her spear ready to strike. When I got close I formed a scimitar-esque sword of ice in my left hand and swung, making Thalia drop her spear, then kicked her leg out from under her and held both swords to her throat. "I believe I win"

 **Third Person POV**

The hunters were shocked that Thalia had lost, only Lady Artemis could beat Thalia usually. Phoebe looked angry and stood up. "I will fight you next _boy_ " Artemis sent a cautioning glance towards Phoebe. Percy just stepped away from Thalia, capped Riptide, and then held his hand out. Thalia scowled but took it. Once Thalia had stood up and let go of his hand she glared at him. "When on earth did you become able to create ice and ice weapons?" Percy just smiled. "Just one thing I picked up while travelling and helping Demigods" Phoebe had just made it into the arena and was impatiently waiting for Percy. "Percy, what happened at camp?" Percy immediately stopped smiling. "I'll tell you later but right now I have another fight"

Percy then walked back towards where Phoebe was standing "What are the rules for this fight?" Phoebe smirked. "No powers just close quarters combat, first to unconsciousness loses" Percy nodded "Ok then, when do we start?" Phoebe suddenly lashed out at him with her hunting knifes and drew a small, thin cut across his cheek "We start right now!" she yelled and lashed out at Percy aiming to cut his throat but he just caught the dagger on the palm of his hand, not doing anything to retaliate and not saying anything either just blocking Phoebe's knifes with the palm of his hand while she got more and more frustrated until she tried to pull a dirty tactic and threw one of her knifes at Percy. Thalia looked like she was going to zap her as she saw what was going to happen but instead of impaling Percy the knife was simply caught by him as the hunters looked on in shock, how had he managed to catch a knife that was thrown at his face from just inches away? Phoebe looked at Percy and froze. The expression in his eyes, it wasn't the same as it was when he was fighting Thalia, happy and joking, this was the expression of a warrior on the battlefield, cold and emotionless but there was something else too, something behind that expression that made her blood run cold. Bloodlust. It was restrained but it was there clear as day, behind this emotionless warrior was a killer, someone who wouldn't hesitate to brutally and efficiently end her life if she ever pushed him too far. Percy flung the knife into the ground and struck. Faster than all the hunters could see Phoebe was unconscious and Percy was standing behind her. Only Artemis had been able to see what happened and if you looked closely you could see there were two emotions on her face that you would rarely see, respect and fear.

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 **A/N: Dun. Dun. Dun. Sorry about the long time it took to update but school has been crazy leading Up to the Christmas holidays and I haven't had a lot of time to spend writing but I hope you enjoyed and it looks like now the repairing of relationships will have to wait until the next chapter but until then please review oh and Merry Christmas to you all - Nightshade Guardian**


	10. Chapter 10: The Return of the Chihuahua

**A/N: Hey guys I hope you enjoyed the last chapter as that chapter was one of my favorites to write and now we are on chapter 10 where I just might start to begin the main plot of this story and I can only hope you enjoy this next chapter: The Return of the Chihuahua - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Third person POV:**

Percy backed out of his stance and looked at the rest of the hunters. "Anyone else want to fight?" the statement didn't seem playful or happy. It was more of a challenge and all the hunters looked terrified as he had just easily beaten the two people who were widely considered the two best fighters in the hunt. Even Artemis looked slightly scared but then shook it off. "Unfortunately Perseus it looks like no one wants to fight you today" he smirked then looked down at Phoebe "I should probably heal her" Artemis looked confused "why? She attacked you dishonourably and broke the rules of the fight by throwing the knife at you" at this Artemis suddenly looked at Percy with suspicion "how did you catch that by the way as it didn't look like you used any of your powers" Percy seemed slightly wary but answered "While wandering the past few years I trained so I could move faster than the eye could see, it's a useful thing" Artemis seemed dubious then nodded. "Is that something you could teach the hunters?" she asked. Percy seemed to think about this for a minute then shrugged "possibly, if they are okay from learning something from a male but it is not something that can be used too much as it can damage the muscles" Artemis looked slightly confused then nodded "Ok then"

Percy then knelt down and his hands began to glow a warm orange which then surrounded Phoebe who then began to groan and then sat up while Percy stood up and to the side while Phoebe stood up and looked at Artemis "My lady?" Artemis walked down to where she was standing. "Phoebe, for dishonourably attacking your opponent before they were ready in a duel and breaking the rules that had been set you will be doing the rest of Perseus's chores for the day" before Phoebe could protest Percy spoke up. "No she doesn't have to do them it's fine" both Artemis and Phoebe looked confused "why?" Artemis asked. Percy shrugged. "She was only acting the way you taught her, she hates me because i'm male and so she treats me with the respect she would any other male and that is totally fine so she doesn't have to do my chores" Artemis looked confused but then a flicker of respect appeared on her face which was then replaced by her usual expression of a twelve year old "ok then you best get on with the arrow and knives that need sharpening" Percy nodded and walked off to the armoury tent.

 **Thalia POV:**

What was with Percy? It was like he was a completely different person. Before the three years he had been missing he had always been optimistic for the future and determined that he would stop anything that threatened camp but now it seemed like he was cold and isolated from everyone else and when we fought it was completely different to whenever we had fought before. It had always been a close match up between us but now he beat me without using any powers I was familiar with I mean, an ice sword? Where the hell did he manage to learn to manipulate ice? Granted I managed to start to manipulate the wind like Jason though not in a hundred years would I be trying to fly like he did. Another thing. How come Percy looked to be only about twenty? He had been gone nearly four years and so should be looking about twenty one or twenty two but he still looked twenty. I groaned. Add that to the list of questions I needed to ask my mysterious cousin. I decided to go and check on Percy and how he was getting on with sharpening the arrows and hunting knives as it had been about an hour since he had walked off to go start them.

When I got to the armoury tent I saw Percy talking to Lady Artemis and then fade out of view. I had to rub my eyes. Where did Percy go? Artemis turned round and saw me and smiled so I walked up to her "milady, where did Percy go?" "He asked if he could have some free time to go and visit the underworld" I was puzzled at that "why did he want to go to the underworld?" Artemis shrugged "I think he wanted to go and visit his other cousin, Nico I think it was" I smiled. I hadn't seen the little goth in years. "Do you have any idea how long it will be before he returns as I have some questions for him "he should be back by dinner so that he can serve more food as it saves lots of time and is quite nice too" I nodded "we will still hunt though right?" Artemis nodded "we can't have yours and the other hunters skills going rusty can we?" I laughed "no we can't because then even those worthless boys at camp half blood might catch up to us" Artemis laughed along "Even with Chiron training them I don't think that will ever be possible" I smiled and headed back to the arena to train some more.

 **Percy POV:**

Sharpening the arrows and knives wasn't so bad as it gave me time to think and it didn't take long as there were four knives and about fifty arrows. I picked up a whetstone and got to work. I was finished in just under an hour and decided to go and see if Artemis would let me go and visit my other cousin. I walked out the tent and almost crashed into Artemis. I froze. "Sorry Artemis I didn't know you were out here" Artemis just smiled. "That's fine Perseus but why were you leaving the tent?" "I just finished sharpening the knives and arrows and came to ask if I could go and visit the underworld" Artemis looked surprised "Why would you want to visit the underworld" I struggled to keep a neutral expression on my face "I would like to visit some of my family that didn't leave" Artemis looked sad for a moment then nodded. "Ok but be back before about nine as the hunters will be expecting you to provide dinner as they seemed to like your food last time" I smiled "Ok see you later then" and then i dissolved into the mist.

I reappeared outside DOA recording studios, the main entrance to the underworld. I walked in and went straight up to the main desk where Charon looked up and grinned.

"Well if it isn't Percy Jackson, you haven't drowned in a bathtub yet I see" I laughed "No, not yet and I don't think I will anytime yet" Charon grinned even more "I hope not" Then his mood turned serious "I wanted to thank you Percy, if it wasn't for you my son wouldn't have made it to camp" I was shocked, Charon had a kid? Then he produced a picture that had him and a beautiful woman in holding a baby with eyes that looked like obsidian. I smiled as I remembered that kid. He had run from home as the other kids had called him weird when he was talking to spirits then he was cornered by some cyclops's until I helped to fight them off and brought him back to camp. "You have a great son there Charon" he smiled "Thanks, why did you come here by the way?" "I'd like to go and visit Nico if that's ok" Charon just nodded "That's fine come along" he then took me through the same route as when I was twelve but with less shades on the boat this time I stepped off onto the bank and waved Charon goodbye and set off towards the palace of Hades.

I got to the main gates and was greeted with three very familiar woof's. I turned to see Cerberus standing on all fours with his tail wagging furiously. I smiled at the bittersweet memory this brought up but then snapped my fingers and a large red rubber ball appeared in my hand. The tail wagging intensified. "Hey boy, remember me?" a resounding woof followed. I smiled and threw the ball to where it was caught by the middle head and the other two heads snapped trying to get at the ball "Drop" Cerberus dropped the ball obediently. I continued to play with him for a few minutes then after throwing the ball one last time I walked through the gates continuing on towards the palace.

It took me about ten minutes to get there but as I approached something felt. Wrong. As I got closer I noticed that there were no skeletal guards like there usually was and the doors of the palace seemed like they had been forced open. I quickly flipped up my hood, drew Riptide and an ice sword then rushed into the palace.

As I ran further into the palace I heard sounds of commotion and a fight going on that seemed to be coming from the throne room. I burst into the throne room to see a giant, it looked like Alcyoneus, standing over Nico with sword raised "-us will be pleased with this sacrifice" he then swung the sword down and I moved faster than ever before and met the swing with one of my own from my ice blade. Alcyoneus looked shocked that someone had blocked his blade. "Who are you to dare interfere with the eldest son of Gaia and Tartarus?" he bellowed and I smiled "You don't remember me? That hurts" this seemed to piss him off "You have interfered before? Then I shall stop you from interfering again along with the rest of the god's here" he raised his sword again and swung again and again I stopped the blade. I then pushed it back and darted forward and jumped aiming to pierce his eye but he moved back in time so I ended up slashing down his cheek but the wound instantly healed. I noticed that instead of oil for blood he now had ichor, how in the tartarus did that happen. Alcyoneus laughed. Foolish boy, I am immortal in the place where I was resurrected and I was resurrected in the underworld so I cannot be killed. "Damn" I forgot about that. I quickly checked on Nico who was on the floor and Hades who was unconscious on the throne. Both would be killed if I couldn't stop this giant. While I was distracted Alcyoneus attacked and I barely dodged it but it still cut along my face, bisecting the cut from earlier when Phoebe had cut me. We kept fighting for a few minutes while he kept opening shallow cuts all over my body and then a deep slash across my side. Alcyoneus Laughed again. A cold whisper spoke in my ear. I couldn't let this drag on. I had to use _that_ power. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

 **Third Person POV:**

After Percy took a deep breath the room seemed to become much colder. The purple flames in the braziers seemed to shrink and almost sputter out and a cold wind swirled up from nowhere. Alcyoneus looked around nervously then he locked on to Percy, smiled and swung. Before the blade could come near him he opened his eyes. The blade froze and shattered before it could touch him. "What in the-" Alcyoneus never finished that sentence as suddenly a massive blast of ice hit him in the face, knocking him backwards. Alcyoneus looked up and saw two pairs of ice-blue eyes looking at him and he felt as if his entire being had frozen. Not with the cold. With the terror. The look in those eyes wasn't the typical hardened demigod look nor the terrified look of demigods as they realised they were going to die. This look was that of a demon. Pure unrestrained bloodlust and rage. That look promised that he would be in for a shit-ton of pain and suffering and it promised that this person would find a way to kill him. A bolt of multi coloured energy slammed into his shoulder. "Fuck you" he yelled at the person with the ice-blue eyes as another slammed into him, then another. The person with the ice-blue eyes then formed a spear of ice and drove it through his shoulder, pinning him to the wall. "You fucking asshole" Alcyoneus yelled out as he drove another spear through his knee. The figure flipped back his hood and Alcyoneus snarled. "You. the fucking asshole Jackson" The figure smiled and slammed his fist into the face of Alcyoneus. Alcyoneus spat out ichor and snarled "You won't win. Even now the others attack the hunters and will kill them before they can threaten the plan" The figures eyes narrowed before he stood up and drove his sword of ice through the skull of Alcyoneus who then froze and shattered, leaving only the ichor stains to show he was here. The cold wind died down then stopped as the figure closed his eyes and then opened them to reveal they had returned to a sea-green. Percy walked over to Nico and kneeled down next to him as his hands glowed orange then Nico's wounds slowly disappeared and he woke up. He was disorientated for a second then he saw Percy. "Percy? Is that you?" Percy smiled "yep, its me but I can't stay, the hunters are in danger" Nico looked even more confused "But, how did you get here? Alcyoneus?" Percy just smiled. "Don't worry about Alcyoneus, you won't see him again" Percy then got up with a cold and dangerous look in his eyes and created a dark door-looking thing in front of him and ran through it leaving Nico with lots more questions about his suddenly reappearing cousin.

 **Percy POV:**

Shit .Shit. Shit. The word kept repeating in my mind as soon as I had arrived at the hunters camp. The tents were ripped and strewn all over the place. There was monster dust scattered about as well but I could also see that there was a small army of monsters further up the hill and they looked like they were fighting. I ran as fast as I could, drawing riptide and creating an ice sword as I went, and when I got there my heart stopped. All of the hunters, including Amy, were lying on the floor either unconscious or… No. I wouldn't lose anybody else. Artemis was there, chained while Gration stood over her. Gloating. I ran and jumped bringing both swords up and, before any of the monsters could react, sliced Grations head off.

Artemis looked furious after I cut her chains. "Finally you decide to show up. We tried contacting you but you didn't answer" I glared at her. "I was busy with my own problems and i'm here now so can you kill Gration before he reforms please" Artemis glared back but shot Gration between the eyes before he could reform and he crumbled into ash. I was about to say something but then a massive roar sounded followed by a jet of flames straight towards me. I dived out the way and brought up my swords to block the next one. A laugh came from behind the monsters and out walked Echidna. "Well, well, well if it isn't the mighty Percy Jackson, it has been a while" I scowled. "Yea, the last time we met it was at the Saint Louis Arch when I was twelve" Artemis looked surprised. "You met Echidna before?" I nodded, keeping my eyes on her and noticing the lack of a Chimera. "Yea, and her oversized chihuahua, speaking of which, duck!" I tackled Artemis to the ground as a Jet of flames went over our heads. I heard Echidna yell "Get them!" so I jumped up to get ready for the fight.

 **Artemis POV:**

After I got up off the ground I noticed that Perseus was fighting through the monsters so fast he almost looked like a blur but it also saw something on my uniform. Blood. His blood. That worried me slightly. Not because I had blood on my uniform but because that meant he was already hurt and was fighting more. I turned round as the chimera leapt at me. I just managed to roll out the way before it attacked again but suddenly Perseus was in front of me and the Chimeras teeth were buried in his shoulder "Fuck" he yelled then drove both his swords through the chimeras' eyes and up through its head. The Chimera burst into golden dust while Perseus stood there with a shoulder that was completely mangled. Before he could do anything Thalia began to groan and sat up. When she saw what was happening around her she picked up her spear and Aegis and charged at Echidna.

Echidna snarled and as soon as thalia came close she hit her backwards into a tree with a distinct snapping sound. Immediately the surroundings felt extremely cold and an icy wind blew furiously from out of nowhere. Suddenly Perseus dashed forwards and in an instant had Echidna pinned to a tree with an ice blade pressed against her throat. I also noticed that half of the monsters around us had frozen solid. Then Percy spoke but it wasn't like any voice I had ever heard. It was cold and violent. This was an extension of what happened with Phoebe. This time though, his anger wasn't restrained. "You will suffer for what you just did" and then he violently slashed at her scattering ichor everywhere until eventually he drove the sword through her head and she burst into golden dust. Percy turned round and immediately all the rest of the monsters began to flee before being mercilessly cut down by Perseus.

Once all the monsters were dead the cold and icy wind vanished and Perseus limped over to where Thalia lay, unmoving. I walked over to him as his hands began to glow a bright orange. "Perseus you can't, we need Apollo for this" he shook his head "If we wait for him it will be too late" he then returned his focus to Thalia and I watched as her back, which was bent at an almost ninety degree angle, slowly moved back into place with an audible grating sound. Once her back looked normal Perseus stepped back as Thalia came around but just as she woke up Perseus fell to the floor. Unconscious. While Thalia started to panic.

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 **A/N: There you go. Chapter 10 just before Christmas. I hope you enjoyed the chapter as it took Ages to write but it was worth it. I will say that there are hints about what will be going on later in the story if you look closely so feel free to review and share your ideas. The next chapter most likely will not be published until the new year so I wish you all a merry CHristmas and a great new Year - Nightshade Guardian**


	11. Chapter 11: A Guardian's Secret

Surprise! Hey guys I'm back with the next chapter, sorry for the long wait but i hope you enjoy this chapter and that it is worth the wait. Here it is Chapter 11 - A Guardian's Secret. - Nightshade Guardian

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 **Artemis POV**

After Percy had somehow managed to heal Thalia he almost immediately collapsed. Thalia immediately started to panic trying to wake him. I was worried but he wasn't the only one whose life was in danger. I looked up and saw that it was nearing dawn so my useless brother would soon be up but we had no time to wait for the sun. "My lady!" Thalia's shout got my attention and I looked over. "What is it Thalia?" Her next words made me freeze "Percy, he's not breathing" Without even thinking I rushed forward and moved Thalia out of the way. What she said was true, Percy wasn't breathing and didn't seem to have a pulse. "Shit, Apollo!" I yelled, surprising Thalia because I didn't usually swear in English. I began CPR on Percy trying to get his heart going and keep him alive. I leaned down and started to breath air into his lungs as Apollo appeared. "What is -" he stopped when he saw what I was doing and all the hunters on the floor and the amount of blood that was scattered about. "What happened?" he asked as I continued to perform CPR. I shook my head. "No time, we need to get the Hunters and Percy to your palace otherwise they will die" Apollo didn't even make a comment as he snapped his fingers and we all flashed into his palace.

When we arrived he immediately started to rush about and get the hunters into different beds and try to stop the worst wounds from bleeding. "Place Percy on that one" he commanded, pointing at the bed nearest to me. I nodded and quickly lifted him up and placed him onto the bed. Instantly lots of machines and cables whirred to life and attached themselves to Percy. Apollo rushed over and I got out of his way as he started to check the displays. "Shit" he swore and quickly removed Percy's black coat which revealed a horrible sight underneath. He had a heavy black sleeveless vest type of thing that had lots of slash marks and revealed wounds all over his chest. One of the worst ones was where the vest had been completely ripped away to reveal a large gash across his side that was losing blood at an alarming rate. The worst though was his shoulder. It was shredded and you could see the bone, in pieces. "No, no, no!" Apollo shouted as he clicked his fingers, causing the vest to disappear then reappear next to the bed, then grabbed something from one of the machines next to the bed, placed them on Percy's chest. "Clear!" he yelled then pushed two small buttons on the thing he had grabbed. A machine next to Percy started to beep. It showed a green line moving erratically. Apollo looked over at me. "Leave. Now. if I can save them I can't have any distractions" While usually I would have yelled at him for ordering me around I just nodded, knowing Percy's and the hunters lives depended on our cooperation. I grabbed Thalia and moved out of the medical part of Apollo's temple and into a waiting area.

While we sat there I had time to think. Why was I so worried about Percy? I thought about how he seemed so different from all the other men I had met who were all greedy and wanted nothing more than money and women. He was kind and respectful towards all women and had no intentions of trying to make the hunters break their oaths. The more I thought about it I realised that I respected him a lot and not just for his behaviour but for what he had done in the past for olympus.

When he was just twelve years old he was dumped into the world of ancient greek gods and monsters and sent on an extremely dangerous quest to retrieve Zeus's master bolt otherwise war would break out between the gods. Then when he was thirteen he went on a quest to the sea of monsters to save his satyr friend Grover and retrieve the golden fleece to save Thalia's Pine which separated her from the tree. Then at fourteen he met the hunt and I at westover hall then snuck onto the quest to save me and Annabeth and ended up taking the sky for me. Then at fifteen he went into one of the most dangerous places in the demigod world to try and save his camp. Then he led the battle to save his camp from Kronos, fulfilling the great prophecy in the process.

Then came Hera's plan to untie the two camps which put him in ridiculous amounts of danger and had him fight who knows how many Giants in the process. He had been an invaluable person in those six years. Then Apollo's brat had appeared and ruined his whole life in just a few weeks. I realised that it wasn't just respect I felt for Percy but something else too. Something I couldn't identify. I sighed. I just hoped Apollo could save him and the hunters.

Percy POV:

The next thing I heard after passing out was a cold yet familiar voice. "You are fucking pathetic. You know That?" I groaned as I realised where I was. "What do you want Invel?" in my mind a person who was dressed identically to my usual outfit but in ice blue was standing in an arctic wasteland. "I wanted to let you know that you need to embrace your power otherwise you will not beat the enemy that we both know is coming" I groaned again. "I know" the person in my mind laughed a cold, humourless laugh. "That's just the thing, You don't. You still don't understand what is going to happen and what needs to be done. Maybe you forgot what happened down there?" at this I growled. "I will never fucking forget what happened" the figure seemed to smile. "Then stop hiding it. Let them see what happened. Tell them what will happen if we don't start preparing" I sighed. "Fine" I concentrated, searching for what I was hiding. When I found it I took a deep breath. "Time to let out the secret" I stopped trying to hide what I had kept concealed from everyone, even Hera and Hestia, for so long.

Apollo POV:

As I was treating Percy something happened that made me stop. His body seemed to shimmer for a second before returning to normal or at least what I thought was normal. After I stabilised Percy I quickly moved over to the other hunters. Most of them were nowhere near as bad as Percy was but still needed some care to make sure all bones, flesh and muscle healed properly. It was only when I had finished finished and walked over to check on Percy again that I noticed what had changed. My face drained of colour. How could that have happened? One thing was for sure, Artemis was going to want to see this.

Artemis POV:

We were waiting in the same area for close to two hours which did nothing to ease mine or Thalia's worries. As I was about to go and find some other god to bother, Apollo walked through the door with a look I had not seen on his face for a long time. Sadness. "Apollo what happened? Are Percy and the hunters ok?" Apollo looked grim. "The hunters are fine but you need to come and see this" Thalia Immediately started to stand before Apollo shook his head. "No. Just Artemis" Thalia started to spark but I just nodded. "it is fine Thalia. There must be a good reason for you not to see whatever Apollo wants to show me so calm down" Thalia stopped sparking and sat down with an angry expression on her face. "fine, but I expect to be able to see the kelp head soon" I nodded and walked forward into the room where Apollo had been treating everyone and he lead me over to where Percy was lying. I was going to ask what he wanted to show me and then I noticed. Among the new cuts and bandages there were lots of scars that looked like Instead of healing properly had almost been burned together to close the wound. "What the fuck happened?" I surprised myself at swearing in English but Apollo just shook his head. "I don't know what happened I guess we'll just have to wait and ask him when he wakes up"

Time skip 3 days

Third Person POV:

For the past three days it had been chaotic in olympus as Artemis had reported the attack on the hunt and only few hours afterwards Nico had appeared and talked about how Alcyoneus had attacked the underworld and been defeated by Percy. Once Artemis revealed Percy's condition almost all the god's wanted to go and see him but Apollo refused saying he needed to rest and would not be disturbed by some over enthusiastic god's and that they would all wait until Percy was conscious and able to move before visiting him. On the third day after the attacks Percy suddenly jolted upright in his bed with a yell of pain. Apollo immediately went and eased the pain from his remaining wounds. After this Percy asked to see the council but Apollo simply stated that until he was fully healed he wouldn't be seeing the council. Percy begrudgingly had to accept and over the course of the next five days Apollo constantly was using his power and knowledge of medicine to help Percy recover faster. Over this period of time some of the hunters, including Artemis, visited him. Some came to thank him for appearing to save them. Others just to talk. But Artemis came for a reason which no one could figure out. She would just sit there in a chair, watching Percy while he slept. No one ever told Percy about it, Artemis had stressed the fact that if anyone did then they would enjoy some time as a jackalope. After these five days were up Apollo allowed Percy out of his bed and again Percy asked to see the council. This time he wasn't refused.

Once all the council had been gathered they all seemed confused as to why they had been summoned then Percy stepped forward and almost immediately all the gods looked relieved that he was ok. Some looked more than relieved such as Aphrodite, who looked almost sympathetic and Poseidon who looked as if he had just had a heavy burden lifted off him but the most interesting reaction was from Artemis. At first she seemed immensely overjoyed then suddenly neutral. No one but a certain spiky haired hunter noticed this and she found it very interesting. "Thank you for coming" Percy said "I needed to talk to you about something important" all the gods turned their attention to kim and noticed that he was just wearing a thick, sleeveless vest which exposed his arms and all along his arms were scars. Vicious scars that looked as if they had been cut, then burned shut and then sliced open again. All the gods looked horrified, those scars looked like the result of torture. Percy noticed their reactions and sighed. "That is one of the things that i wanted to talk about but that is less important" at this Poseidon looked furious. "What is more important than punishing the monster that tortured you?"

Percy looked at him in the eyes and spoke "telling you about the enormous threat you face" at this Zeus leaned forward. "What threat?" Percy turned to Apollo "You need to reveal the next prophecy" Apollo looked confused "what proph-" halfway through his sentence he suddenly cut off and his eyes glowed green. He began to speak in the same voice the oracle used.

"The oldest threat shall rise from The Pit.

Olympus children shall be hit.

A broken guardian will stand tall.

To prevent the gods worlds fall.

The camps and hunt shall stand as one

but in the end the hero is gone"

After the last lines were spoken Apollo collapsed into his throne. The rest of the gods looked pale. It wasn't surprising because of what had just been said. "That sounded like a new great prophecy" remarked Hermes the rest of the gods nodded and looked at Percy. "Broken Guardian? You are the only guardian I can think of but what makes you broken?" this was asked by Zeus. Athena spoke up. "I would assume the events of four years ago" at this Percy's face tightened but he spoke up "while that is part of it there is more" at this Athena looked confused but then looked at his scars and her face paled even more. Apollo suddenly jolted up in his throne "Wha- what happened?" Percy looked at him and smiled "looks like the fates have just ordained the death of Percy Jackson" at this the faces of all the gods dropped into grim masks of sadness and sympathy. Before anyone could say anything Percy spoke up again "well i might as well show you what happened to make me 'broken'" he waved his hand and a rainbow appeared in front of the gods. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a drachma. "O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow accept my offering, please show us the memories of Percy Jackson's second time in Tartarus"

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A/N: hey guys once again so sorry for the long wait but I just don't have a lot of time to write currently. I promise I will try to upload more frequently and i will hopefully get the next chapter out within a month, no promises but I will try but until then bye! - Nightshade Guardian


	12. Chapter 12: Hell

**Hey Guys i'm back again with the next chapter. Sorry for leaving the last chapter on a cliffhanger but I felt it was the best place to end the chapter. This chapter will be picking up right after where the last one stopped. With Percy's horrific memories of Tartarus. Be warned that this chapter will be much more violent, dark and disturbing than the others I have published so far. It is also pushing the border between a T rating and an M rating. You have been warned. Here is chapter 12 - Hell - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Third Person POV:**

The atmosphere in the throne room had become very tense all of a sudden after Percy threw the drachma into the mist. Before anyone could speak the mist turned into a scene of a moonless sky with Percy in a forest. Before the image progressed Percy spoke "I would like to ask that all the hunters leave now" Thalia looked annoyed "why should we leave kelp head?" Percy looked straight into her eyes and what Thalia saw made her back down. Fear. fear of what she would do if she saw what had happened to him. "Okay then. Let's go" the hunters looked confused but followed their lieutenant anyway. After the hunters had left the room the image started to move.

As Percy was walking through the forest the ground started to shake. Before he could do anything a crack opened in the ground and he fell through. The gods watched on as Percy fell and fell and fell. It seemed ages before Percy finally emerged and once again fell into Tartarus. He immediately landed on his feet and drew riptide but he was suddenly disarmed as Oceanus appeared and knocked Riptide out of his hands. The gods watched on as Percy drew his daggers and put up a good fight, slashing him, causing lots of major injuries and almost winning, but Oceanus was an elder titan and eventually knocked Percy out and the mist went black.

The mist then changed to where Percy was chained to a wall somewhere in the depths of Tartarus with no clothes on and shackled to a wall. In front of him was Oceanus, Tethys, Hyperion and Krios. The last two surprised the gods, they had heard from Percy and Annabeth that they had been absorbed by Tartarus. Then another form began to materialise and when the gods saw who it was their ichor ran cold. It was Tartarus himself. The gods watched on as Tartarus began to speak to Percy. "I told you before that even the gods were not worth my attention but you were. Unfortunately for you I have revised my opinion a bit, while you are still very interesting to me, the gods have now become worth my attention because of what they did with Gaia. Join me son of Poseidon. I know what happened at that silly little camp and I would say the gods are not on your good list. Join me and we can take revenge on them for what they have done" the gods watched as Percy spat at Tartarus "go fuck yourself" Tartarus just shook his head "well then, I leave you to these inferior beings, I understand they have a grudge to settle" Tartarus then disappeared and the Titans got to work.

The Titans then brought out lots of long blades and other weapons and began their work. The gods watched on in horror and sadness as the blades sliced through Percy's flesh again and again and again. After a few times Percy passed out and Oceanus just threw a bucket of some liquid at him. Percy screamed as his wounds healed but burned at the same time as it was water from the Styx that had been thrown over him. This continued as the gods continued to watch as he was sliced over and over and over again and had Styx water chucked over him repeatedly. After a while the Titans left him there, bleeding from numerous cuts and slashes and barely conscious. The mist went black again and returned with Tartarus standing there. "Have you reconsidered?" Percy looked at him again "as I said, go fuck yourself" Tartarus responded by smashing a fist into Percy. The gods could hear the bones crack. Tartarus continued to hit Percy and breaking his bones. After a while Tartarus left and Hyperion returned with a wicked smile. "This is payback for turning me into a fucking tree Jackson" Hyperion's hand then glowed with a harsh light and he pressed it against Percy's skin causing him to scream in pain. Hyperion continued to burn Percy over and over and whenever he passed out Hyperion would use a much harsher light to cause a much more intense burn which would wake him up. This continued until Hyperion got bored and left him there, broken and burned. The mist turned black again and it returned to a horrible scene.

Before Percy's eyes Tartarus held two people, Zoe Nightshade and Bianca di Angelo. The gods watched on as Tartarus took immense time and pleasure torturing them in the same way he had tortured Percy. At this point Artemis was gripping her throne very tightly. Then the gods witnessed an unimaginable horror. Zoe was given to Hyperion and Bianca to Oceanus. The titans then proceeded to strip them naked so that their bodies were completely exposed to Percy. The titans then proceeded to rape both of them violently. Their breasts were moving everywhere and they were screaming in pain, begging them to stop and Percy to help them. Their faces contorted in pain and tears rolled down their cheeks as the one thing that all the hunters feared the most was forced upon them. At this Artemis couldn't take it anymore and blasted the screen apart with her powers and, with a scream of anguish, broke down crying on the floor in her eleven year old form.

Percy went over to her and held her in a hug. To everyone's surprise instead of hitting him or turning him into a jackalope she just hugged him back, crying freely into his shoulder. After a long time Artemis let go, stood up and wiped her tears away. "Thank you Percy" the other gods were shocked at this, not only did Artemis hug him but she called him by his shortened name instead of boy or even Perseus. Artemis looked round at all the other gods "if any of you tell anyone else about this I don't care who you are I will hunt you down" all the gods nodded. While they might be more powerful than her, Artemis was frightening. Artemis then took her place on her throne again. "Continue" Percy just nodded. This time there was no need to throw in a drachma, the screen just began again from where it had finished.

Both girls had been tossed to the side, broken and violated. What then occurred almost caused olympus to need an architect again. Another person was now placed in front of Percy. His mother. What followed was the same treatment at what had happened to the girls but more clothes were completely ripped apart leaving her naked and then she was violated by the Titans. Her body fully exposed and breasts being roughly groped by the Titans. The gods watched as she screamed in pain and sadness. Once the Titans were done with poor Sally Jackson the gods were forced to watch as Tartarus took the blade used to torture Percy and drove it through Sally's heart. Poseidon roared in anguish causing a major earthquake on Olympus. Only through the comfort of Athena and Demeter did he calm down. Now everyone's attention was focused on the screen as the watched what unfolded next with awe. Awe and terror.

 **Flashback: Unknown time. Tartarus**

 **Percy POV:**

Those bastards. How dare they. They dare disturb the afterlife of these people. Bianca had reincarnated. She should have been saved. They defiled her and Zoe before my eyes. Then they would do the same with my mother. They would pay. I lost myself in the rage and when I did I felt something shatter. I looked at the Titans and Tartarus with hate in my eyes.

I ripped my hands free of the shackles and thrust my hand at Hyperion and Oceanus. Their suddenly screamed out in anguish as their Ichor was super-heated to the point it was burning through their skin. I then called upon the waters of the river Styx to obey my command and it did. It rushed into the cavern and surrounded both Hyperion and Oceanus and they screamed even louder. The water was purging their essence. Rushing into their bodies through their open mouths and burning them out of existence from the inside out. Once they were nothing more than scraps of skin and Ichor stains I turned my attention to Tartarus. He was a primordial. I was no match but I had to try. My two daggers returned to my hands and I flew at him. Slicing, cutting, slashing. All of this was inflicted on him before he blasted me with a beam of black power. I could feel myself dying. Was this it? Was I really going to die here? Alone, in the deepest pits of Hades with no one left to mourn? No. I refused to let that happen. All of a sudden I heard a cold, harsh voice whisper in my ear. "So you don't want to die here then?"

I looked up and before me were two figures. One which looked like me when I was wearing the outfit given to me by Hera and Hestia but in blue while the second figure was one I had hoped to never see again in my life. Kronos. He stood before me, scythe in hand, looking down upon me. "So this is where you ended up? Pathetic" I had never felt so much hate in all my life. I tried to talk but only ended up coughing blood. "Don't be so hasty, i'm not here to fight you. In Fact it is just the opposite. I came to help" I gave him a hateful look but when I did I realized that nothing was moving. He grinned.

"While you may not like me for what I did we both share a hatred. Tartarus. That bastard treated my brothers as nothing more than ants. As well as this I am, ironically, running out of time" as I watched his form flickered for a second before solidifying. "What I will do is save you Percy Jackson. I will seal my friend here inside of you as he also has a grudge against Tartarus and wants to help you. Then I will transfer all of my remaining essence into my weapon and name you as the successor to my domain. Until the fates can properly make you into the successor you will only have limited time control and be able to use the weapon. My friend here will allow you access to advance water techniques, ice techniques and some magic" I felt myself slipping but managed to nod my head and speak two words. "Do it" Kronos grinned again and started chanting.

He chanted in a language older than Greek. As he did the figure by him seemed to shimmer and turn into a mist. At this I couldn't stay conscious and passed out. When I woke up Kronos was standing there with a smile on his face "well it worked Perseus Jackson so take the weapon and get revenge on Tartarus for all of us. I groaned and sat up, realizing that I felt less pain and didn't feel so close to death. I reached up and grasped the scythe and when I did Kronos dissolved into golden energy and flowed into the weapon and I felt power rush into me. I stood up and looked at both Zoe and Bianca. They were lying there, crying because of what had happened. I heard the same cold voice in my head. "We can get them out of here if you like" my eyes widened "How?" I spoke in my mind. The voice in my head chuckled "Hold your hand out towards them and imagine them in a safe place" I held out my hand and concentrated on a place that I had discovered not long ago. They dissolved into the mist. With rage in my eyes I set off to find that Bastard Tartarus.

I found him just outside the cave and he looked extremely surprised. "How are you still alive?" I just smirked. "I had some help" and with that I charged him. I managed to surprise him and cut along both his arm and his leg with the scythe. I continued to swing the scythe as if it was natural and managed to cut his a few more times. Every time I managed to cut him he seemed to lose more energy. He started to fight back with a weapon that looked as if it was made of obsidian. We traded blows, both savagely attacking the other trying to maim and kill. I managed to slice a leg off and he fell down. "You fucker!" he screamed. I leveled the scythe at his neck. "This is for torturing my friends and killing my mother. I swung the scythe but before I could deliver a serious blow he just dissipated into the pit air. I slammed the but of the scythe into the ground with annoyance. "Come back here you fucker!" I screamed at the top of my voice but it was no use. He got away.

The cold voice whispered again "we need to get out now" it said. "Concentrate on a place outside the pit and then slam the scythe down" I concentrated on the forest I had been in and slammed the scythe down. Disappearing into the mist.

 **Flashback End**

 **Artemis POV:**

After Percy reappeared in the forest he passed out and the mist turned black once again and dissipated. I looked around at all the other gods and they all had differing levels of shock, disbelief and fear on their face. Athena spoke up first "Kronos gave up his domains to you? Percy nodded. "I was surprised too but I suppose he was fading and needed to name a successor" Athena nodded but then spoke again "Who was the friend that Kronos sealed in you?" "His name is Invel and he is, according to him, an ice demon" at this Athena looked confused "An Ice demon? I have never heard of them" "Neither had I. It seems that Tartarus created a bunch of demons for his army but when some of them refused to fight he destroyed their essence and Invel was one of the only ones to escape" After Percy finished speaking Zeus immediately took charge "We need to prepare the camps for war" most of the other gods looked at him quizzically but I understood. The threat was Tartarus himself. The hunt would probably be needed too. "Athena, you will go to camp half blood and inform them that a new prophecy will be issued and that they must start preparations for a new war. Ares, you will go as Mars to camp Jupiter and tell them the same things. Artemis" I looked at him expectantly "You will continue to train the hunt along with Perseus in preparation for the upcoming fight" I nodded and my heart seemed to beat faster. Why was I so happy that Percy would be staying? Zeus spoke again "Perseus. Where did you send Miss Nightshade and Miss di Angelo?" Percy just shook his head "I can't tell you just yet" Zeus seemed to get slightly annoyed at this. "Why not?" "Because they still need to mentally recover from the events that happened in that place" Zeus, surprisingly, understood "Ok then, return with Artemis to the hut and train with all your powers" I was extremely surprised at this. A son of Poseidon had obtained power over time and Zeus wasn't trying to get him killed. Perhaps he had finally realized how to be fair. "Meeting dismissed" all the other gods apart from Poseidon and I flashed out.

Poseidon walked over to Percy and held him in a bone-crushing hug. Percy just stood there and hugged him back. After a while Poseidon let him go and smiled at him "Thank you for coming back" Percy just smiled "No problem Dad" Poseidon beamed and flashed away. I walked up to Percy with a question because it seemed I was the only person to have noticed it. "Percy" he turned round "Yes Arty?" he smirked at that. It was weird. Even though I hated it when Apollo called me that I didn't mind Percy using the nickname. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "How long were you really down there?" his smile faltered. "What are you talking about?" I stared at him and looked into his eyes, noticing now that there were flecks of gold and ice-blue mixed in with the sea-green. "From the memories it seemed like you were only down there a few days but there were small differences after each black-out" at this his smile was completely gone. Replaced by a look in his eye that made my heart shatter. Despair. It looked as if he had lost all reason to live. I couldn't stand it and it infuriated me as to why. Then a question formed in my mind. Was I falling in love with Percy Jackson? I couldn't be, could I? I cleared my head again and continued. "Your hair was longer than when you went in by quite a bit and you seemed much more broken than before the blackout and I don't think that a day would do that" the look in Percy's eyes got worse and I couldn't stand it anymore. I pulled him into a hug as I was currently in an 18 year old form so that I could talk to him at a more equal level rather than having to look up constantly. To my surprise he started crying and hugged my back in a tight embrace. While I was like this I realized the answer to the question I had asked myself a minute ago. I was falling in love with Percy Jackson but at this moment I couldn't give a damn. I just held him as he cried just as he had held me a few minutes ago.

After a while he whispered something I couldn't hear. "What?" I asked. "A century, I was down there for a century. A century of waiting. A century of Torture. A century of hoping for someone to come and rescue me. But they never did" I held him tighter and whispered in his ear. "Well I've come now" and at that I did something I never thought I would. I kissed him. I kissed him on the cheek and held him tighter as he finally let out all the pain he went through as he finally realised that we were there for him.

After a while he stopped crying and just held onto me. "Thank you" he whispered into my ear and then something I could make out again. After that he let go and gave me a sad smile. "Let's go, we have work to do now" I grinned at him "I hope you have a plan of how to get the hunters to listen to you" he gave me a mischievous grin back "You'll see soon enough" and for once I saw a spark of the old Percy Jackson. The one who had gone missing those four years ago. He held out his hand. "Shall we go then. We need to get this started as soon as possible" I smiled and took his hand "Yes we do" with that we walked off to find the hunters.

The hunters were waiting just outside the throne room and as soon as Percy appeared Thalia was trying to pry what he had shown the gods but I could see he was uncomfortable so I quickly stepped in. "Thalia, leave him alone. It is his choice if he wants to tell you what happened so you should respect that as I will" Thalia seemed annoyed but stopped trying to pester him about what happened. Percy shot me a look that said 'Thank you' and then just smiled. I quickly gained the attention of the hunters then spoke "Let's get going then" the hunters all cheered and quickly gathered up ready to leave. As we flashed back to camp I thought about what happened today. I learned what had happened to Percy and why he had looked in so much pain all the time. I had also realised that I was falling in love with Percy Jackson and I couldn't give a damn what others might say if they found out. There are no other decent men in the world. Only one. My Broken Guardian.

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 **A/N: And there you go. Chapter Twelve of this story is complete. I hope you guys like it. It is the longest chapter so far in the story and it starts to set the stage for what will happen later in the story now that the main villain is revealed. Also Artemis is falling in love with Percy, yay, don't expect them to become a couple in the next few chapters, that will take a while but I wanted to tell you guys that I don't plan on ending the story any time soon because there is much more to be explored and done with the characters. Until then please leave any reviews or suggestions for the story, I promise I will consider them and message you with a response. Until Next time, Review and Enjoy. - Nightshade Guardian**


	13. Chapter 13: Training Begins

**A/N: Hello again everybody I hope that you all enjoyed the last chapter, it was probably my favorite chapter so far to write as it gives an insight into what Percy had to deal with and why he is considered to be 'Broken' anyway I'll let you get on with the story. I hope you enjoy Chapter 13: Training Starts - Nightshade Guardian.**

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 **Third Person POV:**

Once Artemis had flashed the hunters and Percy back to their camp, Percy quickly went to his tent to retrieve something and came back after about five minutes with the old katana on his hip. Some of the hunters were confused as to why he had a new weapon with him but before they could say anything Artemis called all the hunters to a meeting by the campfire.

"Ok everyone I need to tell you about what you will be doing about the new prophecy that was issued" at this Thalia spoke up "Do we know who the oldest threat is?" Artemis sent a quick glance at Percy who nodded. "The threat is Tartarus, the pit itself" understandably at this most of the hunters started to freak out. "You expect us to be able to beat a primordial?" asked one of the younger hunters. Percy stepped in before Artemis could answer. "Yes. We do because we have beaten one before and we do not stand alone" Artemis looked impressed with the way he had handled the situation but quickly wiped the look off her face before anyone saw it. Thalia had noticed it though and made a mental note to ask about what was going on.

Percy continued to speak. "I will be training you from now on and I expect you to be respectful and listen to what I will be teaching you" at this Phoebe snorted "What makes you think you can train us _boy_?" at this Percy smiled and was suddenly behind phoebe with the katana at her throat.

All the hunters blinked. When had he moved? "That makes me think I can train you" he was back in front of the hunters again with his sword at his side. "Anymore questions?" Phoebe snarled angrily "What the fuck do you think you are doing _boy_? You dare -" at this Phoebe was cut off as she suddenly was on the floor with the katana at her throat again. She looked up saw those eyes again. The eyes of someone who could kill her if she ever pushed him too far.

"I beat you before without my powers" he calmly stated "So remember that I could kill you in an instant if I ever got serious" no one in the hunters dared to move or even speak because now they could see the katana. It was made of two metals fused together. Celestial bronze and mortal steel.

Thalia quickly spoke up. "Percy, how the fuck did you get that weapon?" there was fear in her voice. Percy moved the blade away from Phoebe's throat and stepped back. "I was given it" he simply stated. Thalia was angry now "Percy that weapon -" Percy interrupted her before she finished "I know who it belonged to but it is mine now. It was given to me by the previous owner along with his power" most of the hunters had no idea what was going on but Thalia understood. She was no longer talking to Percy Jackson, child of Poseidon, She was talking to Percy Jackson, Lord of time.

None of the other hunters had any questions so they all went to the training area and waited for Artemis and Percy to tell them what to do. "Alright, I want you all to find a partner and start sparring with them. Afterwards I will come round and give you advice on how I think you could improve your fighting style" Phoebe looked very annoyed at this. "So you will be standing about while we work our asses off?" Percy looked over at her "No as I said I will be observing your fighting styles and how to improve them. Afterwards I can spar with Artemis If you would like to see me fight" Phoebe smiled at this. "You mean get your ass kicked? Obviously" Percy sighed. "If that is alright with you Artemis" Artemis nodded "As long as the hunters listen to your advice I am happy to spar" Percy nodded "Well then, let's begin"

 **Percy POV:**

After the hunters started to spar I watched carefully to see how each hunter fought and ways to improve their fighting style. Most of the younger hunters were using either their hunting daggers or a typical Xiphos.

I watched as they sparred, noting how some would overextend when striking and others would not step out far enough or put enough force behind the swing. I then turned to the more experienced fighters such as Phoebe, Atlanta and Thalia. Phoebe was good, she didn't overextend or not step far enough but she tended to rely more on her strength rather than trying to get inside the opponent's guard. Atlanta was almost the opposite with her problem. She was trying to outmaneuver her opponent and when she did attack there was not much force behind the swing. Thalia was very good. She was an expert in using the spear with her shield and using the spears length to her advantage but when someone got in close she lost her maneuverability and was forced to defend with her shield until she could make some space to use her spear again. I continued to watch until I was sure I could help improve their techniques. After about twenty minutes I spoke up "Okay everybody you can stop your sparring now" all the hunters stopped fighting and waited as I walked over to them.

I turned to the younger and less experienced hunters. "Your styles are good on a basic level but some of you keep leaning too far forward when striking and others don't step far enough forward. There is not much I can do about that other than suggest you practice more and try to learn to control the distance" they all nodded as I turned to Phoebe, Atlanta and Thalia.

"While you are all very good with your weapons of choice you do have certain flaws" Phoebe didn't look happy about being told she had a flaw but kept her mouth shut.

"Phoebe, you are using your strength much more heavily than your dexterity. You try to smash through their guard rather than get through it so try to work on your speed. Atlanta, you are the opposite of Phoebe. You are not putting enough strength into your strikes and are just trying to move around the opponent to confuse them so try to work on your physical strength. Thalia, you are very good at fighting with your spear and shield at a distance but when they get in close you lose the advantage of length and you can't move the spear around as much. I suggest that you practice fighting where someone is close up so you can learn to utilize the spear at close range"They all seemed to acknowledge this grudgingly and went back to training.

Artemis walked up to me. "So are we going to spar then?" I nodded "I suggest though that we only use wooden swords otherwise we could end up causing serious damage to the other person" Artemis nodded at this "I agree as It wouldn't be helpful towards anyone's training. I smiled. "No. That's true. I also need to train so this will be helpful for us both" Artemis smiled and watched as I went to my tent so I could retrieve my two wooden swords I kept there.

 **Artemis POV:**

I watched as Percy walked towards his tent. He seemed much more relaxed today as if watching the hunters had made him happy and more relaxed. The hunters took a break from training and came over to watch as Percy walked back from his tent carrying two shinai. When he reached us he smiled. "Looks like everyone is eager to see this sparring session" Phoebe had an evil grin on her face "Lady Artemis will easily put you in your place _boy_ " I sighed "Phoebe I thought I told you this is a friendly spar and that we need to be respectful towards Percy" Phoebe looked like she wanted to protest but she stayed quiet.

Percy held the shinai towards me, handle first. I took the shinai and settled into a stance as the hunters moved so that we were standing in the middle of a ring of hunters. The shinai felt heavier than normal ones but still balanced.

Thalia stepped into the middle of the ring. "The rules for this fight will be as follows, the winner will be decided by forfeit or by deathblow withheld. Do both of you accept these terms?" I nodded as did Percy "Then let this fight begin!" Thalia announced as she moved back out the ring.

Percy was keeping eye contact with me as we circled around, waiting for someone to make a move. As I looked into his eyes I noticed that these were not the eyes of someone looking to humiliate or thoroughly beat their opponent but the eyes of a calculating warrior, analysing his opponent. I decided to make the first move and dashed at him with the shinai low and swept upwards, aiming to hit the temple to knock him off balance.

To my surprise he reacted with speed and moved his shinai in the way to block the blow. There was a good amount of stability behind his shinai and it wasn't moving with my hit.

Percy smirked, "These shinai have been reinforced with Celestial bronze so don't expect that they will break easily" so that was why the shinai felt heavier than normal. Percy then pushed my shinai back and went to hit me on the head. I just managed to roll out of the way but was forced onto the defensive as he continued to push his advantage. As he pressed forward I noticed that he was being careful to keep his shinai near enough that if I counter attacked he could use it to defend. I waited until he went to attack before lunging forward, aiming to sweep his legs out under him but he surprised me again by jumping over it. I quickly went on the attack before he could fully regain his balance and he was now on the defensive.

I saw a chance to end the spar when Percy overextended on a strike and was thrown partially off balance. I quickly darted inside his guard and went to take his legs out again when I saw him smirk as he again jumped over the shinai and swept my legs out. As I was falling he turned and caught me and held the shinai at my throat. "I believe I win" he stated with a smirk that was annoying but still made him look cute. Bad Artemis. I told myself. You are an eternal maiden. Do NOT go falling in love.

I smirked as an idea on how to win suddenly popped into my mind. "Not yet" I said. He looked confused before I suddenly kissed him. It felt amazing like sparks were dancing across our lips. I quickly broke off the kiss, dropped to my feet and knocked Percy onto the ground. I held the shinai at his throat. "I think you will find that I win" Percy laughed. "I suppose you are right. I forfeit" I smiled, moved the shinai away from his throat and held my hand out. He gladly took it and again it felt like there were sparks dancing between our skin. After he stood up I quickly let go. "I will admit that you almost had me beaten there but you should do anything to win in a fight even the unexpected" Percy laughed again. "Very true. That was a good fight but I'm guessing you are all hungry so what do you want for lunch?"

I watched as Percy went and made a bunch of sandwiches and drinks for the hunters. He seemed to be in a very good mood even after losing the fight. He had even laughed twice and I had not heard him laugh in a long time. It made me feel happy that he was in a good mood. 'No stop it'. I mentally chided myself. 'I am Artemis the eternal maiden and I am forbidden from falling in love'. I thought about the promise made so long ago. 'I am an eternal maiden but there is nothing stopping me from a relationship'. I pondered over this for a second before quickly pushing the thought out of my mind. No I couldn't do that to Percy. He has been through so much already I couldn't hurt him by trying to push him into a relationship with me. I sighed. Why was I falling for him? "Are you alright Artemis?" Percy spoke from right next to me. I jumped. "For goodness sake Percy please don't startle me like that" i tried to sound annoyed rather than happy that he had asked about how I was. Percy just shrugged. "Sorry but you have been staring into space for the last twenty minutes so I came to make sure you were ok" I smiled. "I'm fine Percy but I think we have some training to get back to" Percy smiled and nodded. "Ok then, let's get going"

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 **A/N: There was chapter 13. Sorry that it was more of a filler chapter than one that advances the story but I hope you enjoyed it. the story should be progressing within the next few chapters but until next time, review! - Nightshade Guardian**


	14. Chapter 14: The Guardian's Rage

**A/N: Hey guys I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Sorry once again for it being filler but I promise that the story should be progressing in the next few chapters. But without further ado here is chapter 14: The Guardians Rage - Nightshade Guardian**

 **Percy POV:** **  
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It had been about six months since the prophecy had been issued and I had begun training the hunt. During this time they had all improved rapidly. All of them had managed to become proficient with their weapon of choice and were now adept at fighting. Thalia, Phoebe and Atlanta had become almost as good as me in their weapons. Thalia could now manipulate her spear in either very close range and normal range. Phoebe was now much faster and could deliver fast and powerful strikes against her opponent and Atlanta was now able to use her strength more efficiently to deal stronger blows to the opponent.

The day after the spar I had with Artemis, some of the hunters had been annoyed that she had kissed me to win, Phoebe had even directly confronted Artemis about it. Artemis had said that the fights would be much more difficult and they must use any tactics to win. Kissing a male, no matter how brief, was just an example of this. Phoebe had not been happy with the answer but she was forced to accept it. Most of the hunters had also started to act more coldly towards me. Some had even begun setting up little 'pranks' which usually involved wild animals and pitfalls. They had started out small but throughout the last few months they had been getting much more violent. Whenever I would train with them the hunters and Artemis was not watching they would be aiming to either inflict as much pain as possible or even inflict a major injury. It was a good thing that I was able to heal myself otherwise I would be visiting Apollo every other week.

I hadn't minded the pranks and violent attitude at the beginning. I could understand that they held a resentment because of the actions of Artemis and their perception of events but it was becoming very annoying as every time I left my tent there was something that would cause me pain waiting for me.

Over the last six months Artemis seemed to become much more friendly towards me and anytime the hunters would try to insult me or try to hurt me she would stop them and remind them that I had helped to save them when they had been attacked and I was helping to train them so they should try and be more respectful.

This caused most of the vocal opposition against me to die down but it did not seem to have any effect on the 'pranks' or the violence in training whenever she was out hunting. I had lost count of the number of broken bones and slashed muscles I had to heal when the hunters thought Artemis and Thalia weren't watching.

Today was probably going to be another typical day. I groaned, got out of my bed and got dressed. As I opened the door to my tent I was so tired I didn't notice that it had been moved. This fact only registered as I began tumbling down the cliff. As I rolled down I hit numerous rocks and trees causing many broken bones all over my body. When I reached the bottom Phoebe was standing there with Atlanta, who looked slightly uncomfortable, and some of the other hunters. "There is more where that came from _boy_ " she practically snarled as she kicked me causing more ribs to snap. The hunters laughed and walked back towards the main area. Not for the first time I cursed the new location I had suggested for the hunt's camp. I lay there and set Hestia's powers to work slowly knitting the bones together and making the bruises fade.

After about half an hour I managed to get up and walk towards the main area. When I got there Artemis was looking slightly impatient "Hurry up Perseus" I resisted the urge to hit her and just smiled "Sorry i'm late" I turned to the hunters "What would you like for breakfast?" most of the hunters put in reasonable requests of bacon and eggs or toast but when it came to Phoebe's turn she just smirked "I would like six extra thick buttermilk pancakes made from 2% buttermilk with pure canadian maple syrup made from three hundred year old maple trees" I once again had to resist the urge to do something stupid and nodded. "Anything else?" I asked through gritted teeth "Yes I want freshly squeezed apple juice made from Royal Gala apples" I continued to grit my teeth and snapped my fingers making what she asked for appear and then walked off. "Where are you going Percy?" asked Thalia "For a walk" I replied and quickly disappeared into the forest.

Once I was far enough way I began to take out my anger on the surrounding trees. I punched them over and over again trying to vent my anger out through the use of physical exertion. Over and over I would slam my fists into the trees and eventually my fists began to bleed from hitting the trees so many times. After about an hour I finally felt calm enough to return. I looked around me noticing that I had completely destroyed many of the trees. I waved a hand and they all returned to how they were before. A benefit of the last few months was that I had become much more intune with my powers of time and magic so I could use both of them to repair any damage like this. As I went to go back I heard a rustle in the bushes by the edge of the small clearing I was in and Phoebe stepped out.

 **Phoebe POV:**

This was it. This was the thing that would finally drive that filthy male out of our camp. I had been trying to convince Lady Artemis that he shouldn't be here but she always defended him. I was fed up of him. No matter how many cruel acts I could convince the other hunters to set up he would always return with not a scratch on him due to his annoying habit of healing himself. Not today. Today I had the perfect plan to take care of that filthy male once and for all.

I got some of my sisters to follow me to where he was destroying the trees in the forest. "See?" I whispered "He has no respect for nature and has no place in the hunt so we need to drive him out" Atlanta looked uncertain so I glared at her "Have something to say?" She looked at me and mumbled "Isn't this slightly cruel?" I glared at her again "No, he deserves this so shut up and wait" I smirked as she did as she was told. Even she didn't know the full extent of what I had planned, no one did. Thalia might be a little angry if she found out what had happened but that was a small price to pay for getting rid of him.

After he was finished destroying the trees I emerged from the bushes. He glared at me. "What do you want?" he asked. I smirked. "You gone and I intend to make that happen. Now!" All of a sudden the hunters stood up and started firing their bows at him. He was forced to run like the cowardly male he was deeper into the forest. I laughed. This was just the beginning. Just he wait until he saw what I had done. That should force him to go away. "Ok let's get back to camp, we don't want Lady Artemis getting curious at where we went. One of the younger hunters spoke up. "Will that be enough to drive the bastard out of our camp?" I smirked "Just you wait" we all set off back to camp.

 **Percy POV:**

I kept running into the forest until I was far enough away from the hunters. I stopped to try and catch my breath. That damn Phoebe. She just had to have the hunters attack me. The very people I couldn't hurt without making the person I loved hate me. That was another thing I had learned over the past six months. I had fallen in love with Artemis. I had only realized this when I found myself constantly thinking about her and thinking back to the kiss. I didn't want to admit it to myself after what had happened with Annabeth but I had no choice. I had fallen in love with the maiden goddess of the hunt.

As I paused I heard snarls from behind me. I turned and saw silver wolves behind me. Great. More animals but this time they were the wolves of the hunt so if I hurt them I would be fucked. I began running again as they snapped at my heels and legs, tearing into the clothes and flesh. Just as I was about to run out of stamina they broke away and started running back to camp.

Before I could question why I felt an excruciating pain in my left ankle. I screamed out in pain as I fell over. I looked over to my ankle and almost snapped. There was a bear trap around my foot and from the marks in the dirt it was very obvious that it had been dragged into the path I was running along. I resisted the urge to go and find that damn hunter and snap her neck and reached down to the trap. Gritting my teeth I grabbed the sides of the trap and pulled. I screamed again as I prised the jagged teeth out of the bone in my leg. I stumbled to my feet as the healing powers began the slow process of repairing my ankle.

I saw a clearing just ahead and stumbled forward. After I entered I looked around and the only thing that seemed to be in the clearing was two large pieces of stone. As I stumbled up I noticed that there were words on them. When I got close enough to read them I felt unbridled rage rise up. How dare she. How. Fucking. Dare. She. At that moment I became lost in my rage and let out a scream as my magic and power poured out from my body.

 **Artemis POV:**

I was slightly concerned. Percy had gone for his 'walk' nearly two hours ago and shortly after he had left Phoebe had taken some of the hunters and set off in the direction he had gone. I was waiting for them when they emerged from the forest. Phoebe seemed to be in a very good mood which wasn't promising. She never seemed to be in a good mood when Percy was involved. When they saw me the hunters froze. I smiled. "Where have you girls been?" Phoebe gulped but before she could say anything Atlanta spoke up "We were in the forest trying to force Percy to leave the hunt" I whipped my head towards her "You were what?" Phoebe tried to step in "Nothing. She is just -" Atlanta interrupted her "No. I refuse to be a part of your cruel schemes any longer" this surprised me. Firstly because Phoebe had cruel plans that I didn't know about and secondly that Atlanta was now rejecting being in them. She had not had a great history with males and she was great friends with Phoebe.

Atlanta continued to speak "Phoebe lead us out to where Percy seemed to be trashing all the trees around him. He hit them so hard his knuckles bled" I became concerned. Why was he hitting things so hard? "I think he was venting his anger from when we made him fall down the nearby cliff" I glared at Phoebe. "You did what?" Phoebe returned my glare and was about to speak when suddenly a huge wave of power exploded from inside the forest. Some of the younger hunters fainted from the sudden intensity of power. Thalia came running up to me "Artemis, what's going on. This power feels like-" "Percy, I know" I interrupted her. "I am guessing it is the result of Phoebe's plan to get Percy to leave the hunt" Thalia turned round with anger in her eyes. "What? You tried to make Kelp head leave the hunt? Why?" Phoebe snarled. "Because he is a Male and as such has no place in our hunt" Thalia slapped Phoebe "How dare you! After all he has been through" Phoebe was about to answer but then the power suddenly stopped raging mindlessly and started heading towards us.

I turned and, for the first time, I felt afraid of Percy. His power had destroyed nearly a kilometer of the forest around him from what I could see and now it had stopped raging out of control and was headed towards us suggesting he was controlling it. Phoebe started to run but Thalia held her back. "Oh no you don't" she said. "You caused this mess so you can stay to see the end of it" Phoebe looked scared at this but quickly replaced her fear with a smirk. "What can that male do?" "That 'male' can do quite a lot" everyone there jumped as Percy was suddenly right in front of Phoebe but what chilled me to the bone was the weapon he held so casually in his right hand. A scythe made of two metals fused together. Celestial Bronze and Mortal steel. When Phoebe saw this she paled immensely. Percy just smirked. "You are very lucky that I managed to take control away from Percy otherwise you would be dead"

Thalia and the other hunters looked confused but I remembered what Percy had shown us six months ago. "So you must be Invel then" the figure turned to me and grinned. "Yep, that is correct. Nice to meet you. Percy thinks very highly of you" Phoebe still looked very scared but Invel continued to talk. "I won't hurt the hunter because that would not be a good idea but -" He was cut off as he grunted and I noticed that his eyes began to switch between an ice blue to sea-green and back to ice blue. "Damn it. He is going to take control and if he does he is going to do something he will regret later" he turned to me. "You need to stop him. When you do he will probably disappear. He won't go too far so check the surrounding area and find him. Make him come back to the hunt. He needs it" I nodded. I don't know how I would feel if Percy left the hunt. He made life fun and made me feel things I never thought I would. Invel smiled and his eyes suddenly returned to sea green. Filled with anger.

Once Percy was in control his power flared up again. It was nowhere near as intense as before but it still gave me chills. His power took on a black and red appearance with streaks of gold in it. He gripped the scythe tighter and lunged forward aiming to take Phoebe's head. I quickly blocked it by catching the join of the scythe with my knives. I looked Percy in the eyes and what I saw broke my heart. The rage melted away to be replaced by immense sorrow and guilt as his power vanished and he collapsed to his knees. Sobbing. I went to embrace him but he pushed me away. "No!" he yelled "I don't deserve to be near you!" after this he dissolved into the mist.

I turned to Phoebe. "I will decide your punishment later but for now I need to go and find Percy" A voice laughed out "Unfortunately for you huntress you will not be able to find your precious guardian before we have killed your hunters and destroyed your essence" I turned in shock as Gration stood there with an army of monsters such as dracena, emposa and other assorted monsters. I drew my daggers but before I could do anything Gration moved faster than I thought possible and swung a sword down towards me and all I saw was black.

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 **A/N: There we go. Chapter 14 is done and saw a big turn of events for both the hunt and Percy and the story in general. I would say I'm sorry for leaving it on a cliffhanger but I'm not. Until next time. Please enjoy and review - Nightshade Guardian**


	15. Chapter 15: The Guardian's sacrifice

**A/N: Hello again I hope you all liked the last chapter as it was fun to write and it also begins to progress the story more. Quickly I would like to address some of the reviews I received, this fanfiction is a guardian fanfiction because I wanted to create an interesting story and I felt a guardian fanfic would allow me to do that and If you don't like the fic don't read it is as Simple as that. I'll stop ranting now and let you get on with the chapter. I hope you enjoy Chapter 15 - The Guardian's sacrifice - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Percy POV:**

As I sat there I thought of how badly I had fucked up. I had just lost control and tried to attack Phoebe for her latest 'prank'. Just thinking about it made my blood boil but I pushed that aside and tried to calm down. After I had vanished I had gone to a nearby cave so that I didn't hurt anyone else. Invel spoke up in my mind. "Have I told you that you are fucking pathetic?" I scowled "Yes now what do you want?" I heard Invel laughing. "To tell you to get over it. Sure you lost control but it was that bitch's fault because of what she set up" I scowled again "I still lost control and because of that I endangered the hunt" Invel sighed "For fuck sake let it go. Artemis will forgive you so don't even try that and Phoebe will never try anything again after your display of power" I was going to reply when I had a feeling that the hunt was in danger. Perhaps it was nothing or perhaps it was my connection as guardian to the hunt but either way, I needed to go.

I grabbed the scythe and was about to go when Invel spoke up "Where are you going?" I growled. "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to help the hunt" Invel spoke up "why should you? If they won't accept you why should you help them?" I was going to reply but I thought about this. Why should I? They wouldn't accept me anymore so why should I help them? I found the answer quickly and I smiled at how I was being an idiot. "I'm going to help because they are my family" I felt Invel smile and I knew I had found the right answer. I gripped the scythe and started running towards camp and as I did I bent time so that I would reach the camp faster.

When I reached the camp I saw Gration swinging his sword downwards towards Artemis. I couldn't let her be hurt so I froze time, straining at the effort it took to freeze this many monsters and a giant, and stood in front of the blade. As I was going to release time Invel spoke up. "I think it is time I let you use my power properly" I gritted my teeth. "That would be great but we don't have the time right now for you to give me a lesson in your powers" I could feel Invel smirk. "Don't worry about it, for now i'll just lend you it by focusing it through your sword arm" I was going to ask what he meant when I felt a power flow through my right arm but what was weird was that it seemed to be coming from within the arm itself rather than being focused through it. "There you go, now your arm is much more resistant than normal and you have access to my magic instead of just my cryomancy powers" I could feel my grip on time was stronger now because I was also using his power. I smirked. "Time to give these monsters a good show" I held my arm up so that Gration's sword would hit the palm of my hand instead of Artemis and released my control over time.

 **Artemis POV:**

Gration swung his sword and all I could see was black. At first I thought I had been cut in half but then I heard Gration speak. "How is this possible? Why are you here?" I then realized that it wasn't darkness I was seeing like I had thought but the back of a black coat. Specifically the coat that belonged to our Guardian. I also noticed that somehow he had caught Gration's sword in one hand. Percy spoke up and all I heard in his voice was determination. "I'm here because it's my job" as he said this he let go of Gration's sword. Gration yelled but instead of swinging his sword he thrust out a hand and sent what looked like a blast of purple energy at Percy which hit him square in the chest.

Gration laughed. "Now that that pest is gone -" before he could finish laughter came from the smoke where Percy had been standing. "That is very rude you know. You ruined my coat" Percy stepped out of the smoke and what I saw made me gasp. Percy's coat was in his left hand, shredded, but he was completely fine. The thing that made me concerned though was his right arm. It was completely black. He casually held his scythe in his hand like it was no more that a gardening implement. Gration's eyes narrowed when he saw the scythe. "How do you have that weapon?" he asked. Percy smirked. "Simple" and suddenly he was behind Gration swinging the scythe towards his neck. "It's my weapon" Gration reacted with lightning speed and just managed to roll out the way before he was decapitated.

I started to relax, thinking Percy had this in the bag, but Percy suddenly spoke up from beside me. "I wouldn't relax" he said, causing me to jump. "There is still all those monsters" to emphasise his point Gration yelled out "Monsters, kill those hunters. For Tartarus!" I quickly turned to the hunters "Let's go show these monsters why you don't mess with the hunters of Artemis" they all nodded and quickly grabbed their weapons and started fighting the oncoming monsters. I turned to Percy. "Shall we?" Surprisingly he shook his head. "No. I can beat Gration but the hunters need help with the amount of monsters. Help them" I looked into his eyes and saw no hint of overconfidence or fear. I nodded and ran towards the army of monsters.

 **Third Person POV:**

As Artemis and the hunters fought with the monsters Percy continued to fight with Gration. Percy was darting around and opening cuts across his legs and arms but Gration managed to catch Percy off guard with a quick slice of his sword which cut along his forearm. "Damn, looks like I need to stop messing about then" Percy said. He then rushed towards Gration and threw a punch " _Winter's breath_ " he said. Gration's eyes widened as a blast of ice came towards him. He moved a second to late as the ice slammed into his arm causing it to freeze.

"You damn brat, how did you do that?" Gration questioned. Percy just smirked as a red, black and gold aura surrounded his right arm. "Magic" he stated and suddenly he was behind Gration again as he threw another punch " _destroy"_. An explosion of red, black and gold energy enveloped Gration as Percy stepped back and looked at his right arm. A series of cracks had appeared along his hand and had stopped at the wrist. The cracks were glowing with a red light. "Looks like I can use stronger magic but it hurts like hell" He shook his hand as if trying to remove a cramp while Percy was distracted Gration stumbled out of the smoke, his arm missing from the explosion, and lunged at Percy. He noticed this at the last moment and brought the scythe up to block.

Percy managed to stop Gration from hitting him but Gration used his sword to wrench the scythe out of Percy's hands. Gration laughed. "Now you no longer have your weapon boy, what will you do" Percy smirked. "True I no longer have that weapon but I never said it was my only one" as he said this he took a pen out of his pocket and uncapped it. A bronze xiphos appeared in his hands. "Let's go" he swung at Gration but suddenly Gration was wreathed in purple flames and Riptide flew off like the scythe. He began to laugh maniacally "Bear witness to your end half-blood. These are the flames of Tartarus himself!" Percy watched as Gration suddenly turned and sent the flames roaring towards Artemis and the hunters.

 **Percy POV:**

I exerted all my power into slowing time but the flames were still moving towards the hunters and Artemis. I stood in the path of them and raised my hands. I would create the strongest barrier I could. I would not let Gration win. I thought of the strongest items in Greek mythology, the master bolt, the trident, aegis. None of them would have the power to stop this, even if I could use them. I suddenly remembered one of the more obscure items in the Greek mythology. The seven layered shield used in the Trojan war. A shield made of seven layers of leather and bronze. A shield that was famous for its defensive power. I heard Invel in my mind once again. "I will use all my power as well to help stop these flames. They are the the flames of Tartarus that destroy even the essence of a god or the soul of a human. I have seen their effects before. Never again" I steeled myself and called upon all of our magic and power we could use. The words came to us as if they were spoken by another or they already existed " _Appear before me, seven layered shield of Olympus. The shield that stopped the unstoppable._ _Aspída tou Aíanta!"._

As I had been chanting I felt my control of time slip until the flames were about to engulf both me and all the hunters I felt magic explode from our fingers and form a barrier that stopped the flames. Gration roared out in annoyance. "What is this you filthy half-blood?!" I just smirked as the flames crashed uselessly against the seven rings in front of me.

"This is the strongest shield in our mythology, the shield of Aias from the Trojan war" Me and Invel were speaking together as our magic was in perfect harmony. Gration snarled and cut off the flames. "Well then looks like I need more power even now to destroy you pesky fools" as he said this the remaining monsters convulsed before bursting into black flames and being drawn towards Gration who seemed to be forming a spear out of the flames. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my right arm and black flames were wrapped around it and drawn towards Gration."I can't help you anymore" Invel spoke again. "He is draining my power and if he continues I will be reduced to pure power at his disposal" I gritted my teeth as Invel withdrew his power and my arm returned to normal, leaving me to hold the Aspída tou Aíanta on my own.

Gration laughed as he held a black spear wreathed in the black flames. "Even if it costs me my existence I will destroy you demigod!" as he said this he began to turn into the black flames himself and add to the spears power. "Shit. This is not going to go well". I glanced back at the hunters. They were all looking at the spear with wide eyes. Artemis met my eyes and I knew I had only one option. A last resort I had set up just in case. I smiled at Artemis for what could well be the final time. "Tell them I'm sorry I never came back" Her eyes widened as she understood the implications of the sentence. Before she could do anything Gration gave one final laugh before throwing the spear and completely turning into black flames. I held out my left arm towards the hunters, palm forward, and spoke quickly. " _Escape_ ". A magic circle appeared around the entire camp and suddenly all the hunters, their tents and the wolves all vanished before the circle faded. Not to far away, two girls asleep in a cave suddenly vanished in a glow of red and black energy.

I had no time to smile as the spear hit the Aspída tou Aíanta causing the outermost ring to shatter instantly and then continued to push against the next ring. I strained to stop it using all power available. The hunters might be safe but I would be damned I was going down without a fight. The second ring shattered. Damn it. Was this it? Was I really going to die here? Alone and no friends to mourn me? I realised how similar this sounded to when I was in Tartarus and I smiled. I guess there was no cheating Thanatos more than once. The third and fourth rings shattered. I thought of how many people I would have liked to see one last time. The fifth ring shattered. Mom, Paul, Poseidon, Hera, Hestia. The sixth ring shattered leaving only one last ring. I guess I would never get to say goodbye. The last ring shattered and the spear exploded in black flames. I cried out as I felt them engulf me. My scythe was back in my left hand now. It almost seemed to be trying to stop the flames. I felt myself falling unconscious and with the last of my energy fading I fell backwards into the darkness.

 **Artemis POV:**

I watched as Gration threw the spear and saw Percy's sad smile as he spoke what could be his last words. Before I could say anything I felt myself being transported somewhere. When I opened my eyes I was on olympus with the rest of the hunt and all of the tents and wolves. The only person missing was Percy. He had just given up his life to protect the hunt and I. I felt tears start to fall on my face. Why did he have to be so damn loyal? He could have abandoned us and saved himself but he decided to stay and give his life so that we could escape. The tears flowed down my face without restraint. I had just lost the one male in the world who could ever receive my affection.

I felt someone come up behind me then stop. "My lady?". It was Thalia. "What happened?" I quickly wiped away the tears and stood up. "Our Guardian lived up to his title" I replied abruptly. I turned round to see Thalia's expression falter. "You don't mean?". I nodded and watched with sadness as Thalia began to break down as she realised what had happened to her cousin.

I was going to say something to try and comfort her but then I saw two figures that were still lying down and didn't seem to be in the hunts uniform. I quickly walked over to see who they were and when I got there my eyes widened. Percy's words echoed in my ear " _Tell them I'm sorry I never came back"_ I realised now who he was talking about as I looked down on the sleeping figures of the two people he saved from hell. I looked down on the sleeping figures of Zoë Nightshade and Bianca Di Angelo.

Before I could react a black portal opened and someone fell through. I rushed over, telling the hunt to make sure Zoë and Bianca were ok, because I recognised that kind of portal as the same kind as Percy had used when he first arrived on Olympus. When I reached the figure I sobbed in both relief and sorrow. Percy was lying on the floor, unconscious but alive with the scythe lying on the floor next to him.

Thalia ran over and immediately embraced her cousin in a tight hug but in doing so I noticed something that caused me to start crying again. Thalia looked up and saw me crying. "What's wrong my lady?" I couldn't talk so I just pointed to his right arm or, more specifically, his lack of a right arm and the horrible burns that surrounded it.

Thalia's eyes widened and held on tighter. "You damn idiot seaweed brain!" she exclaimed. "Why did you have to do this?" I placed my hand on her shoulder. "He risked his life to save ours and in the process he sacrificed his own arm. We need to get him to my brother so he can help" Thalia nodded and I picked up Percy and turned to the hunt. "All of you are to go and rest in my temple and make sure that both Zoë and Bianca are ok and wait for our return" Phoebe spoke up before we could leave. "Did that male send us here and then stay behind to fight that giant alone?" she sounded surprise so I turned around and saw an emotion in her eyes that caught me off guard. Respect. "Yes he did" Thalia said. "He did that because even though you played so many cruel pranks on him he considered the hunt family and he would do anything for family" Phoebe looked down at the ground, ashamed. "When he wakes up,I would like to apologise if that's ok with you" Thalia and I both nodded and then we flashed to Apollo's temple to make a certain 'awesome' god be useful for once.

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 **A/N: There we go. Chapter 15 is finally done and I'm sorry for the long wait but I was busy with school stuff, my laptop broke so I had to buy a new one and I wasn't happy with some of the chapter so I rewrote it so it took way longer than I would have liked but I hope you enjoyed it none the less and hopefully I can get the next chapter up soon. Until next time - Nightshade Guardian**


	16. Chapter 16: The Path of The Guardian

**A/N: Hello again I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. I am hoping that I will be moving onto the main plot of the story now so thank you all for being patient and sticking around with the story until now. I am so sorry it took so long to update but I am really busy at the moment but I hope I make it up to you by giving you a present for your patience, an extra long Chapter. I hope you all enjoy chapter 16: The Path of the Guardian. - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Artemis POV:**

I flashed into Apollo's palace and immediately noticed that it was much more subdued than usual. The golden glow that surrounded the walls was much dimmer and the constant music that came from speakers in the walls was quiet. "This feels odd" Thalia remarked and I nodded. "Either my brother has matured or something major has happened" as I said this the doors to the medical section of the palace opened up as Apollo walked out looking very pale.

He saw us and Percy in my arms and his face fell even further and as he rushed over he spoke "What happened?". I shook my head. "I don't know. All I know is he stayed back when Gration attacked us while we escaped" Apollo looked at me in shock. "You're telling me that Percy fought Gration, your bane, while you ran?" I glared at Apollo. "Not exactly, Gration was using some sort of weird black flame that was definitely not normal and Percy stopped it before it hit us and teleported us to Olympus". If it was possible, Apollo became even more pale. "Did you say black flame?". He seemed worried. "Yes, why?". Apollo just swore. "I need Hecate here now! I can't heal this!". This shook me to the core. My brother, as much as he was arrogant and selfish like most other males, was not someone who would overestimate his abilities, especially not when it came to his domains, except music, and if he said he couldn't heal this it worried me.

We moved into a private room and placed Percy in the bed then Apollo waved his hand so light was shining through a prism on the table so that a rainbow quickly formed in front of Apollo and he tossed a drachma in. "Iris would you please connect me to Hecate". The screen blurred for a second and then Hecate appeared showing her in her cave. She looked up. "Apollo, this is a surprise. What do you want?" Apollo had a blank expression on his face. "Hecate I need you in here now". Hecate looked surprised. "Why is that Apollo?" Apollo seemed to become slightly annoyed. "It's Percy". Hecate's eyes widened. "Oh, he told you about me being his patron? Well I am slightly -" Hecate was cut off as Apollo interrupted her. "We already knew about that this is something different". Hecate looked confused. "What is it then?". Apollo looked dead serious. "Black flames". Hecate's face dropped and she disappeared and the Iris message dissipated.

Hecate appeared just in front of us. "What happened and why are you here Artemis?" Apollo just sighed. "It's a long story but for now I need you to help me with this" As Hecate opened her mouth to ask what it was he needed help with he stepped out the way and she saw Percy and the burns around his missing arm. Her face fell then hardened. "I can't do anything about the arm" she stated. Thalia became angry. "Why not?" Hecate looked shocked and before she could answer Thalia continued. "You know he has had a horrible experience in the last 5 years so why can't you heal this one thing!" after this Thalia just broke down crying. I enveloped her in a hug and waited until she calmed down.

After she calmed down she stood back up and turned to Hecate. "I'm sorry for my behaviour but it's just that he has been one of my best friends for years and to see him suffer like he has is just unbearable for me". Hecate smiled. "I understand. I can heal and soothe the burns with my magic but I can't heal his arm" Apollo seemed to jolt up suddenly. "What is it?" I asked Apollo as Hecate began to heal the burns which faded from being bright red and angry with black patches to a slightly irritated looking skin colour.

"Athena, Hephaestus and I were working on a project for if something like this ever happened and I wasn't able to heal the hero's arm". I raised an eyebrow. "So what was this project then?". Apollo smiled. "You know how the mortals have prosthetic limbs to replace those lost in wars?". I began to catch on to what Apollo was saying as he continued. "Well me and Athena thought of what we could do to create an improved version of that for if Demigod's suffered similar injuries and so with her knowledge on mechanics and mine on biology and medicine we managed to draw up plans for a prosthetic arm for Demigod's. It is made out of Celestial bronze so that we don't have any possibility of rust or it breaking and it is integrated into the existing nervous system so it can function like a normal arm but there is a downside to it though" I glared at him. "What is it then?". Apollo looked down at his feet. "It is a major operation and has a high chance of going wrong and even if it doesn't the recuperation period is anywhere from a year upwards before being able to use it properly and easily another 6 months before he could use it in a fight". I felt my face drop. "So you mean he wouldn't be able to do anything for nearly 2 years?". Apollo looked at my with a sad look in his eyes. "Not unless a miracle happens". I looked at the bed where Percy lay. He looked so calm now and all the burns were gone and he appeared to be sleeping rather than unconscious. I could only imagine how much pain he had endured from the flames burning his arm off and I could only hope he was peaceful and calm now.

 **Percy POV:**

Pain. That was all I could feel right now. It felt like my arm was trapped in a supernova. I was not even aware of the world now as I could barely stop my physical body from screaming like I was in my own mind. The last thing I could remember doing was falling into the darkness which I vaguely remembered had dropped me at Olympus but then everything faded again. The next thing I could feel was that the pain was subsiding and I could vaguely hear voices in the background "- won't be able to do anything for nearly 2 years?". I recognised that voice. It was Artemis. It left me puzzled. Who was she talking about and why wouldn't they be able to do anything for 2 years? I tried to shift my arms to push myself up on the bed but found I couldn't. I felt my energy drain as I fell back into the realm of unconsciousness.

When I next woke up I felt much more awake and managed to move my head to take in where I was. I saw the golden walls and gathered that I must be in Apollo's temple. I felt a weight on my chest and I looked to my left and I felt my heart stop. Asleep on my chest was a sprawling mass of auburn hair belonging to Artemis. I smiled to myself as I watched her. She seemed so peaceful when she was asleep. I went to move some hair out of her face with my right arm but found I couldn't move it. I frowned and looked over only to jump, waking Artemis, as I saw that my arm was missing. "Percy, you're awake!" she exclaimed as she quickly sat up but before she could say anything I started to freak out. "No,no,no…" I kept repeating the word over and over and , Artemis noticed this and quickly tried to calm me down. "Hey, it's okay. You're fine". Her words seemed to fade into the background as all I could seem to focus on was the stump of flesh where my arm used to be. I was brought back to reality when I felt Artemis hug me. I gradually calmed down as she held me in a tight embrace and whispered into my ear. "It's okay. You are safe now." I felt myself start to cry. "I lost my arm" I whispered. "I'm useless to you now". That's what I was most upset about. Not the pain, not the loss of the limb but the fact I could no longer help the goddess I had fallen in love with. I gazed into her beautiful silver eyes. Tears streaming down my face from mine.

 **Artemis POV:**

I woke with a start when I felt Percy jump beneath me. It had been nearly 2 days since the attack on the hunt, Percy being brought here and the loss of his arm. Thalia had been here most of the time as had some of the other hunters. Apollo came in a few times to check on how Percy was doing but I had never left. I had told the others that I felt responsible for what had happened to Percy but that wasn't the real reason. After I had seen Percy without an arm I had realised just how much he meant to me and I just couldn't stand to leave him alone in such a state. Thalia seemed to be the only one who didn't believe me and I would probably have to explain it to her another time but now I was just happy that Percy was awake.

"Percy. you're awake!" I exclaimed but I quickly noticed he was freaking out as he kept saying the same thing over and over again. "No, no, no…". I tried to talk as soothingly as possible in an attempt to calm him down so he stopped freaking out. "Hey, it's okay. You're fine". My words didn't seem to be having any effect and he looked as if he was sinking further into a panic attack. I quickly grabbed him in a hug so I could keep him from hurting himself and still talk into his ear. "It's okay. You're safe now" I kept repeating this into his ear and held him tight until he stopped shaking. I felt him start to cry. "I lost my arm". He whispered. "I'm useless to you now". He leant back on the bed and looked into my eyes as tears streamed down his face. The look in his eyes made my heart sink. He looked so broken as if he couldn't do anything anymore because of his lost arm. I couldn't help it. I did the first thing that came into my mind. I kissed him.

This was not like the brief kiss I had given him back when we had sparred. This was a long kiss in which I tried to pour all my emotions through to show him that he wasn't useless, that I needed him.

After what felt like forever I broke it off and looked into his eyes which held no trace of the broken spirit they held before and instead seemed confused. I started to talk knowing that if I didn't say anything now I never would.

"Percy. Don't you ever think you are useless. You are the only person who could ever change my views. You acted so differently from all other males. You were kind and caring towards the young hunters and forgave any of the older ones who said or did horrible things. Even though the treated you like shit you still protected us. You came back and stopped Gration from killing all of us. You lost your arm being the hero you are, the hero I fell in love with". I gazed into his sea-green eyes and waited anxiously for his response. I knew he had not had a great experience with Annabeth so I was unsure what he would say. I started to become worried that I had done the wrong thing but before I could apologise I felt him put his arm around me and pull me into a hug. I barely heard the whisper in my ear but what I heard made me smile. "I love you too Artemis". Those simple words caused my heart to soar and I felt all the animals in the world react to my joy and the moon glow brighter than ever before, leaving human scientists wondering what was causing the largest super-moon since records began. Percy let go and I could see that his eyes had changed again and were now full of both love and determination. He then asked me a question. "How long have I been unconscious?". I was sitting back on the chair but before I could answer Apollo walked in. "Okay so Percy should wake up .." he looked up and his voice trailed of as he saw Percy sitting up in the bed. "What's the matter sunshine?" Percy joked. "You look surprised". Apollo remained still for a minute before bursting out laughing. "You never fail to amaze me Percy".

His face then turned serious and lost all sign of humour. "I assume that you are going to want a new arm?" Percy's smile dropped of his face and he nodded. "If you are serious about this then we do have one option". Apollo then went on to explain how they could fit him with a celestial bronze replacement like the mortals did with plastics and metals but an improved version. "The only problem is the recovery period. It would take at least 2 years" Percy kept his face straight. "Is there anyway to speed that up?" before Apollo could answer Hera appeared. "Apollo how is…" before she could finish her question she saw Percy sat up in the bed and immediately crushed him in a hug. "Oh thank goodness, You're ok". Percy laughed. "I'm fine, you don't need to worry so much mom". This surprised me and Apollo. When had Hera adopted Percy? Percy seemed to realise what he had just said and was about to say something when Hera interrupted. "It's ok Percy. People would have found out anyway so I am not bothered". She let go of Percy and turned to Apollo. "I heard you had a problem with the replacement arm for Percy?". Apollo nodded. "I already have all the parts and equipment ready but the time it would take for him to actually be able to use it would be somewhere over two years and I can't think of a way around it". Hera smiled. "I can". Apollo looked slightly annoyed that someone else had thought of a way to speed up the recovery process before him. "What is it then?". Hera smiled. "We make him a god".

Both Apollo and I were shocked. Percy become a god? Inside I was secretly happy as it meant that I would never have to lose him to death and Apollo started muttering. "Of course why didn't I think of that? Gods' heal much faster". Hera smiled again. "I already raised the issue to the council and the decision was almost unanimous. They agree".

I turned to look at Percy who seemed to be deep in thought or possibly discussion. "Percy, what do you want to do?". Percy took a minute before answering. "Let's do it". Apollo had a straight face. "It will hurt you know that right?". Percy nodded. "This is my path now. The path of the Guardian. I can't quit now". All three of us smiled as it was a typical Percy thing to say. He looked straight at Apollo and had a determined look in his eyes "When can you carry out the procedure to attach the arm?". Apollo smirked. "I can get it ready in a few hours then we can make you a god after". Percy nodded. "Ok then. Let's get on with it then".

 **Percy POV:**

I lay on the operating table as Apollo was rushing around making sure everything was ready from the components of the arm to the weird machine that would integrate the arm with my nervous system. After he was satisfied he walked over with a syringe filled with a golden tinted liquid. "This will send you into unconsciousness" Apollo explained. "It will also serve to numb the pain of the operation so that you aren't screaming constantly" I swallowed. Would the pain really be that bad? Before I could ask I felt the needle enter my forearm and I immediately felt drowsy. The last thing I saw was Apollo, with scalpel in hand, watching as I fell into the realm of unconsciousness.

The next thing I knew I was standing in what looked like an infinite space filled with stars and in front of me were three old women with a loom by them. I recognised them as the fates and guessed that they had summoned me here so I bowed and spoke. "Lady fates". To my surprise the fates jumped and turned around. "Perseus Jackson, what are you doing here?" the middle fate asked. "I thought you brought me here?" I said, confused as to how I was here now. "No. We did not summon you here so we are curious as to how you are here". Before I could even start to say anything another voice spoke up, seemingly from everywhere at the same time. "I brought him here" I didn't recognise the voice but the fates sure did as they immediately fell to their knees and one of them spoke. "I did not know you were here Ananke"

The name seemed like it should be familiar but I couldn't place it until the Goddess appeared. She was dressed in a plain white tunic and holding a plain wooden staff. While she did not look as imposing as other god's there was a definite aura of power around her and I remembered that Ananke was thought to be the primordial goddess of compulsion and fate. "Hello Percy" she said. "I am the one who summoned you here and would like to explain why. You have a very important role to play in the future and it will not be an easy path and because of this I am here to give you information". I looked at her quizzically. "What information?" she smiled then tapped me gently with her staff and I suddenly felt a wave of knowledge crash over me.

"That information. You probably won't be able to fully understand it until after the ceremony but it will definitely help you on the path that you walk" she then turned to the fates. "I wish to bestow upon him the best gift we can give him" the middle fate spoke up again. "You can't mean?" Ananke nodded. "We will present it at the ceremony". One of the fates looked like they were going to speak up but stayed silent after an elbow from her sister. "Of course". Ananke smiled then turned back to me. "It is time to send you back and I hope you are ready for what is coming next". Before I could respond she tapped me with her staff again and I suddenly woke up in the same bed I had been before.

The first thing I noticed was the weight on my right side. _The operation went well then_. The next thing was that there was a dull pain near my right shoulder. _That would be the painkillers wearing off_. I sat up and slowly used my left arm to push myself into resting against the backboard of the bed and looked down at my new right arm. It was made out of celestial bronze and it felt as if it was just a heavy version of my old arm.

A short while after I had woken up, Artemis walked into the room and smiled when she saw me sitting up. I smiled back. "Hey, how are you?" I asked. Artemis just smiled and shook her head. "I should be the one asking you that after what you have just been through". I laughed. "Yea but it's just how I am". Artemis just smiled and nodded then came and sat down beside me then, hesitantly, took my hand in hers. I looked up at her beautiful face and her elegant silver eyes that were shining with emotion.

 **Artemis POV:**

I stood outside of Percy's room and for the first time I felt nervous. Not nervous of a monster but of what Percy might say. This was my first time ever being in love and I did not want to mess it up. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door. I saw Percy sat up in the bed and I couldn't help but smile. "Hey, how are you?" he asked and I just smiled. This was such a typical Percy thing to do. "I should be the one asking you after what you have just been through". He laughed. "Yea but that's just how I am". I just smiled and sat down on the bed next to him then I hesitantly took his hand in mine. I felt the cold metal under my hand and I felt the emotions rise up in my eyes.

"Artemis?" he asked. "It's not fair" I said leaving Percy confused. "What?" he asked seeming very confused. "It's not fair that you have to suffer and make so many sacrifices just so you can protect us!". I felt his arm pull me into a tight hug. "It's alright Artemis. I am fine". I wanted to believe him but I knew it wasn't true. "You aren't though, You keep doing anything to protect us and it will cost you your life! I can't lose you Percy. I can't lose you because I love you and …" I was cut off by Percy kissing me. I felt the slight taste of salt on his lips and relaxed into the kiss and wrapped my arms around him. After we separated he held me in a tight hug. "You will never lose me Artemis. I promise. I refuse to die especially now I have you". I blushed and held him tight.

"Percy" I whispered. "What are we now?" I felt him smile. "We are whatever you want us to be". I smiled, knowing full well that Percy would never force me to do anything I didn't want to. "In that case it looks like the maiden goddess of the hunt has finally become someone else's prize". As I said this I leant back and smiled before kissing him again.

After we separated Percy continued holding my hand but had a serious look in his eyes. "Looks like it is time for the ceremony to begin". I looked at him and saw the determination in his eyes. "Okay then, I will let you get dressed then we can go" I gave him one last kiss on the forehead then left and stood outside his room when Apollo came up to me with a smirk on his face.

"Hey Arty, how are you doing?" I was slightly confused as to why he was smirking but before I could say anything he just smiled. "Did you forget I can see whatever goes on in my temple?". That quickly made me realise what he meant and I blushed before glaring at him. "You will not do anything or tell anyone about this otherwise I will turn you into a jackalope and hunt across all of America!" Apollo just laughed. "I won't, I promise. Percy is a nice person and I respect him a lot so if you have fallen for him I will not do anything" I looked at him in surprise then smiled. "You have matured a lot in the past four years. Thank you".

Percy then walked out of the room in a plain T-shirt and loose combat trousers. When he saw Apollo he bowed. "Lord Apollo, Thank you" Apollo just smiled. "Drop the formalities Percy, you never need to call me lord for all you have done for both Olympus and my sister" Percy smiled. "Looks like it's time to go then". Apollo nodded and waved his hand so that we were all in the throne room surrounded by the rest of the council and four other gods that were not on the council but still very much respected.

"Are you ready to become a god and receive your new power Perseus if so then step forward and let everyone take their place" Zeus asked. Percy nodded then stepped forward into the centre of the room and me and Apollo went and stood in front of our respective thrones. The other four gods that were there stood in the gaps between us and they included Hecate, Thanatos, Hestia and, surprisingly, Nemesis. Before we could continue with the ritual a voice called out. "Please just wait a second" this was very odd as I could not seem to remember the voice but it seemed very powerful.

Before all of our eyes materialised both the fates and another goddess. Zeus looked very surprised and bowed. "Lady Ananke, to what do we owe the pleasure?". Ananke. The primordial goddess of compulsion and fate. She smiled. "I am here to help you with the ceremony and grant Percy more power" Zeus looked very surprised but smiled. "I am glad that he has earned your attention for he has been one of the best demigods I have seen in a very long time. Possibly even since Greece" all the gods looked shocked. Zeus had just said that his brothers demigod was one of the best he had ever seen. Zeus really had changed a lot because of Percy. I smiled at the impression that he had made and I was glad that even with all of the compliments he remained the same person that I had fallen in love with.

"I would like to bestow upon him a gift that has never been given before to any hero" the fates then stepped forward and held out… a piece of string. The significance of this was lost on me until Zeus spoke. "You would give him his own life string?". This shocked me. No matter how difficult a hero's life had been and how much they did for the gods no one had been given their own life string before. Ananke smiled. "Yes, I would. It will become part of him and help form his weapons of power and give him more strength with his powers too". Zeus nodded. "We will start the ceremony then"

We all stood in a circle around a kneeling Percy in the centre and Ananke began the chant. "With all the gods here to witness, I start this ascension process. The morai have recognised the power he may hold and wish to reward him. His fate shall be removed from our hands and placed in his" as she said this the fates took his life string, which was now glowing in a familiar red, black and gold aura, and let it fall onto him where it changed into pure power surrounding him. "Let his domains be gained from what was given and what was won. All that are fallen shall surrender power and he shall take it. The blessing of Olympus shall be bestowed upon him" at this point all the gods present began to glow with their respective power colours which then shot towards Percy, mingling with the power already surrounding him. "His patrons gifts shall not be wasted and his shared life will not be restarted as he takes his new title and accepts this gift so now he may rise as the immortal guardian!"

When Ananke finished chanting the power that had completely enveloped Percy was suddenly absorbed into him and a shock wave blast outwards from him, knocking everyone backwards. Once the dust that had been stirred up by the shock wave had settled down we could see the figure that was now standing in the centre of the room.

It still looked like Percy but there were slight differences. He was slightly taller now, maybe six foot two, and his muscles had become slightly more defined but still looking natural and like a swordsman's would. His outfit had also changed. He was wearing something similar to his old outfit but the outside coat was now entirely silver with black trimming and there was a shining moon reflected in the water below on his back. He opened his eyes and they caused my breath to stop in my throat. They were beautiful. They were still predominantly sea green but they had a ring of silver around the iris and flecks of all different colours within the iris.

"Percy? How do you feel?" Ananke asked. Percy grinned. "I haven't felt this good in a very long time" I got the feeling he was talking about more than just the power and I smiled, happy that I was making a difference.

Zeus spoke up. "Percy, while you were defending the hunt, camp half blood was attacked" I noticed that Percy's right hand clenched into a fist. "While I know camp no longer holds fond memories I would like you and Artemis to take the hunters to camp so that you can help protect them if they are attacked again. The Romans have also moved there so that there is not two targets to worry about". I looked at Percy noticing that his hand was still clenched. "If we are to go then I wish for my identity to remain unknown" Zeus nodded. "I am fine with that. You can reveal who you are to whoever you want or not. That is your decision to make". Percy smiled and his fist relaxed slightly. "Thank you Lord Zeus" and he bowed. Zeus smiled. "You of all people should bow to no one Perse- no, Percy. You may address me as Zeus or uncle depending on what you wish" I smiled, knowing that Zeus had matured so much from the immature and irresponsible king he had once been.

Most of the council flashed out apart from Athena, Aphrodite, Hera and Poseidon and all the other gods that had helped but were not on the council. Athena walked up first. "Percy I would like to apologise for what happened with my daughter. She did something horrible and I know she was the one person that was keeping you at camp while Ryan was turning your friends against you." Percy just smiled. "That's fine Lady Athena. She made her decision and you are not responsible for her actions" I just smiled. I was used to Percy's actions by now and this was a typical thing for him to do. Athena smiled. "Percy, there is no need to use titles and I speak for all the gods, you may just call us by our names. I still want to offer you my blessing as a token of my apology" A grey glow surrounded Percy before it faded. "Your dyslexia is now almost gone and you will find it easier to read and retain information" Percy smiled. "Thank you Athena". Athena smiled then flashed away.

Poseidon walked up and with a big smile he pulled Percy into a hug. I noticed that Percy no longer seemed to tense up around his father as he hugged him back. "You have made me so proud Percy" he said when they let go. "I just wish Sally and Paul could have seen it" Percy smiled sadly. "So do I dad. So do I" Poseidon the smiled. "I am impressed as well because I think that is the first time Athena has ever given one of my children her blessing. How the times have changed" Percy smiled then was suddenly covered in a sea-green glow which faded. "I have unlocked the full extent of your water powers so that you can still go back to your roots when you want" Percy gave his dad one last smile and then Poseidon left.

Aphrodite walked up next. I could guess what she wanted and it took lots of effort not to go up and strangle her when she started talking to Percy. "Hey, you look really hot in those clothes but I bet you would look even better out of them" It took all my willpower not to shoot the bitch right here. Percy snorted. "Sorry Aphrodite but I am going to decline that offer" Aphrodite looked shocked "Why? Don't you find me attractive?" while she said this she tried to push her breasts upwards. Percy just rolled his eyes. "Sorry but already have a girlfriend and it would be possibly the worst mistake of my life to cheat on her". I smirked. Aphrodite's face fell. "What? When did you move on?" Percy just smirked. "That's for me to know and you to wonder" Aphrodite pouted then poofed of in a puff of pink perfume.

Hera and Hestia walked up next and they pulled Percy into a group hug. Hera smiled once they broke it up. "You are finally a god Percy, I am so proud" He smiled as she vanished and Hestia gave him a quick smile before returning to the hearth.

Thanatos walked up next and Percy seemed slightly surprised. "Thanatos, it has been a long time since I have seen you" Percy had met Thanatos before?. Thanatos smiled. "I came to repay the favour of you freeing me on that glacier" Percy smiled. "Thank you but you don't -" he was cut off by Thanatos. "No i don't but I want to so I added my power to the ceremony so that you now have wings you can call on and can see how close people are to death. The darker the colour the closer they are." Percy smiled and Thanatos continued. "I would advise making sure there are slits in your coat for the wings when you summon them and by the way, it will hurt quite a lot the first time you summon them so might want to prepare for that" he then vanished without another word.

Ananke walked up next with a huge smile on her face. "Congratulations Percy, you are now in control of your own fate but you can still be involved in prophecies and if they state you will do something you still must do it otherwise you can upset the balance of fate" Percy nodded. "Noted, thanks for telling me". Ananke grinned. "By the way you should try summoning your weapons, you might find that they have changed slightly" with that she vanished leaving Percy confused.

Hecate started to walk towards Percy but just as she got there Percy suddenly had two short swords in his hands that were unlike any others I had seen. One was black with red lines that formed a hexagonal pattern on the blade and it had a shard of white that went from the base to about half way and got thinner as it went with the Japanese yin yang symbol just above where it began. The second one was almost the inverse to the other being white with no pattern and where the black sword had the white shard the white sword had a black shard but still with the yin yang symbol.

When Hecate saw this her eyes went wide. "Those are some powerful weapons Percy" he looked up at her "I think this is the effect of being granted my life string. It changed my daggers into this" as he said this, corresponding scabbards for the swords appeared on his waist and he slid the swords into them. Hecate smiled. "Well then it looks like you have grown quite a bit from when you rescued my children and as such I think that you are finally ready for this" Hecate held up a book that even I could feel the power radiate off and I didn't have a very strong affinity for magic. "This is a spell book containing very powerful spells that could help you and others. I want you to have it. To learn from it to help you protect the hunt and the other demigods" Percy smiled. "I would be honoured" he then took the book which promptly vanished. Hecate smiled then dissipating into the mist, confirming that Percy had learned that trick from her.

Finally, Nemesis walked up. "You brought balance to this world twice Percy, even when the price that you paid cost you yours and yet you kept on fighting. I wish to reward you for this" a deep purple aura surrounded Percy before fading. "You now have improved skill with any weapons as you need a balance in combat not just in life, you have access to more magic skills that can help balance the fight that must come and you can now sense when something is off balance in the world. I leave you with this" and then she vanished

Once everyone was gone Percy turned back to me with a smile on his face and started walking over. I smiled back and when he reached me we started to walk towards my temple. "I see you didn't let being a god go to your head" He grinned. "Are you talking about what I said to Aphrodite?" I responded with a grin of my own "Of course. Seems you are smart enough to know what a bad move would be". We continued talking like this until we got back to the temple.

When we walked in we saw all the hunters including Zoë and Bianca sitting around waiting. Before we could do anything Zoë walked towards us and surprised me by giving Percy a hug. "Thank you for saving us Percy" Bianca walked up behind her. "Yea, thank you". Percy smiled. "No problem. I would never have even considered leaving you down there but I just want to ask Bianca. You were supposed to have been reincarnated so how did Tartarus get you?" Bianca smiled sadly. "I never reincarnated I just hid from Nico so that he couldn't find me and take me back but unfortunately Tartarus knew and captured both me and Zoë who had become strong enough to visit from the stars". Zoë broke off the hug and looked at me. "May we retake the oath my lady?" I noticed her English seemed better than before. "If that is what you both wish". They nodded. "Ok then, you know the oath". They both repeated the oath and gained the tell tale silver glow.

"Sorry to say but we need to go to camp half blood" I said. Most of the hunters did not look happy but a few understood why. Thalia then spoke up "We heard that camp was attacked. Will the Romans be there too?" most of the other hunters looked confused. "Romans?" Zoë asked. I then explained what had happened while they had been dead but I left out Percy's story as that was his to tell.

They both looked at Percy and looked impressed. "You stopped the world from ending twice? I am impressed with you Percy. It takes someone of good strength and character to save it once let alone twice" Bianca remarked but Zoë looked at Percy with a silent question in her eyes. I quickly told all the hunters to gather their things and prepare to go to camp but since Bianca and Zoë did not have anything they stood still and waited but while they did Percy walked up to Zoë and asked a question "Zoë do you mind if I do something quickly?" she looked up at him quizzically "Ok but I want to ask you a question afterwards. He nodded before resting his hand on her shoulder and she glowed for a second in a reddish colour before it faded.

Zoë looked down at her hands. "What did you do? I feel slightly different from before" he smiled. "I unlocked the power you should have as a daughter of Atlas. While you do not like him being his child has its perks" Zoë still looked confused. "Why do I feel different from before though I was still a daughter of him?" he smirked "because you no longer have a connection to the garden so all you have is his powers which include being very strong so you will probably need a custom reinforced bow and having ridiculous stamina and pain tolerance" Zoë smirked. "So what happens if an annoying male at camp bothers me?" I noticed Percy flinch slightly at the mention of camp and Zoë noticed it too. "Percy what are you not telling me?" before he could answer all the rest of the hunters came back with all the stuff that they had. "Later" I heard him tell Zoë before he walked back over to stand next to me.

"Are you all ready to go?" I asked and a resounding chorus of "yes" came from the hunters. I smiled and clicked my fingers so that we appeared at the bottom of half-blood hill. Percy flicked his hood up, an action not going unnoticed by Zoë and Bianca. The hunt walked up the hill and I noticed that there was now a defensive wall around the camp with small parapets with guards that saw us working and seemed to shout down to some people at the gate and it opened to reveal four people standing and next to me I could feel Percy grin. He probably recognised them and when we got closer I did too. Standing there was Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano who hated her full name and Jason Grace. When Thalia saw this she smiled and ran at full speed to catch up to her brother.

When we got there the two were already chatting and trying to make up for lost time and the other three seemed relaxed. "Lady Diana" said Reyna "What brings you and your maidens here and who, if I may ask, is the male that is accompanying you?". Percy quickly looked around and saw that there were others there but when he spoke it was in the same multiplied voice I had heard before which I now guessed must be magic. "I am the Guardian of the hunt" it was true but not the entire truth. Reyna's metal dogs snarled but didn't attack. "Why do I feel like you are not telling us the whole story?". I once again felt Percy grin next to me. "That is because I am not. I will be happy to talk to you and the others later. I will tell you where and when you can meet me if you wish to talk. Reyna scowled but nodded. "Ok. Who are the others you are referring to?". "I am talking about Jason here, Frank, Hazel and Piper if she is here". Jason looked up at him. "How do you know our names?" he shrugged. "You will find out later if you come to where I will meet you" Jason nodded. He seemed more patient then Reyna. "Anyway, you didn't tell us why you were here Lady Diana" I sighed. "The hunt, I and our Guardian will be staying here for now" Reyna nodded but as we were walking past Hazel looked at Bianca and frowned. "You. Who are you?" Bianca froze. Percy quickly stepped in. "She is a hunter and that is all you need to know for now" Hazel did not look impressed but let it slide.

We got to the cabin without any hassle and the hunters dropped all their stuff. A horn sounded signalling campfire. I spun round to talk to Percy but he was already gone. I blinked and he was suddenly back again. "Where did you go?". He flicked down his hood and smirked. "To deliver a message to some old friends" he then turned to Zoë. "You and Bianca can tag along to if you want. Zeus's fist after campfire so I can explain what happened" They both nodded. "Okay but time to go to the campfire"

When we got there it was a sorry sight. The flames were very low and they were almost black. This demonstrated that the mood was very low among the demigods. Chiron stepped forward. "Campers. As you all know we lost a great deal of people in the recent attack and the ones who did survive but were badly injured are still recovering in Apollo's temple but be happy for they gave their lives protecting you and their home and they will be in Elysium now. Today is also five years to the day that Percy fled camp" This shocked me and I noticed Percy was very tense next to me and both Zoë and Bianca looked as if he had some very serious explaining to do. "We have not given up hope that one day he will come back to us and when he does we will all be able to apologise for what we did" a kid stood up from the back of the amphitheatre. "Why should we? You should be thanking me for getting him to leave. He was just a little phoney who couldn't do anything" this was met by lots of boos and a swift punch from Jason who had been standing at the back near the boy. "Don't you ever insult my friend again or you will be met by a much more violent method". That boy must have been Ryan. Apollo had told me about what he had done and I could see why he had said that he regretted having a child like him. I turned to see Percy almost shaking. I subtly put my arm around his waist in an effort to calm him down. He stopped shaking and gave me a quick smile.

"Would anyone like to come and sing a song for us?" Chiron asked. Suddenly Percy was gone. I blinked and he was walking down towards the stage with a guitar in hand. Where did he get that? Chiron looked at him as he walked down. "Not to be rude but may I ask who you are?" Chiron said. "All you need to know is that I am the Guardian of the hunt and I wish to sing for you all" his voice was not multiplied but it was not his normal one. Chiron nodded. "Ok then. Let us see if you can improve the mood here. It has been a long time since we had a good campfire" Percy pulled a chair over, sat on it and began to strum the guitar. After making sure it was in tune he began to play the opening chords of a song I actually recognised. It had come out a few years ago and Thalia had listened to it a few times because she liked the message it came with. It was Stand by a group called the Rascal Flats. Percy began to sing and at once everyone went silent and became awestruck.

 **(While you read this part I would like you to go to youtube and listen to this song as it is one of my favourites because of the message it talks about and it will give you a better feel for the song if you actually hear it)**

 **(even though it is obvious I do not own the rights to this song)**

 _You feel like a candle, in a hurricane_

 _Just like a picture, with a broken frame_

 _Alone and helpless_

 _Like you've lost your fight_

 _But you'll be alright, you'll be alright_

 _Because when push comes to shove_

 _You taste what you're made of_

 _You might bend till you break_

' _Cause it's all you can take_

 _On your knees you look up_

 _Decide you've had enough_

 _You get mad, you get strong_

 _Wipe your hands, shake it off_

 _Then you stand_

 _Then you stand_

 _Life's like a novel_

 _With the end ripped out_

 _The edge of a canyon_

 _With only one way down_

 _Take what you're given, before it's gone_

 _And start holding on, keep holding on_

' _Cause when push comes to shove_

 _You taste what you're made of_

 _You might bend 'till you break_

' _Cause it's all you can take_

 _On your knees you look up_

 _Decide you've had enough_

 _You get mad, you get strong_

 _Wipe your hands, shake it off_

 _Then you stand_

 _Yeah, then you stand_

 _Every time you get up_

 _And get back in the race_

 _One more small piece of you_

 _Starts to fall into place_

 _Oh_

' _Cause when push comes to shove_

 _You taste what you're made of_

 _You might bend till you break_

' _Cause it's all you can take_

 _On your knees you look up_

 _Decide you've had enough_

 _You get mad, you get strong_

 _Wipe your hands, shake it off_

 _Then you stand_

 _Then you stand_

 _Yeah, then you stand_

 _Yeah, yeah baby_

 _Woo hoo, woo, hoo, woo hoo_

 _Then you stand, yeah, yeah._

While Percy had been singing the campfire had grown bigger and brighter as they understood the message behind the song. Apollo had also appeared by the hunt, making some of them jump and watched Percy as he played. What made my heart break though was the emotion with which he sung. I realised that this song not only applied to the demigod's but to him too. He was singing about what he had to go through to get to this point.

Once he had stopped singing, the campfire was now much larger than it had been before and a bright orange colour. The whole amphitheatre went wild. Clapping and cheering from everyone no matter if they were Greek or Roman. Percy just stood up and I could tell that under his hood he was smiling.

 **Percy POV:**

After I stopped playing the entire Amphitheatre went crazy. There was cheering from everyone and I couldn't help but smile. My gaze drifted up to the hunters and I saw that Artemis had a large smile on her face and surprisingly Apollo was standing there and he looked impressed. I hopped off the stool I was sat on walked up to the hunters, Artemis and Apollo. Apollo spoke up first. "Dude. That was amazing! When did you learn to sing like that?" I rubbed the back of my head. "I guess I always could but never really got the chance" Apollo shook his head. "Of course. You never fail to surprise me you know that?" I smirked. "Do you mind if I take a look at your guitar?" I shook my head and passed it over. Apollo looked it over and whistled "This is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, who gave you this?" "It was Hestia" I replied "During the time I was off on my own she gave it to me so I could distract myself from what had happened and I guess I just got good at playing it" Apollo smiled and shook his head. "Only you" he passed the guitar back and waved. "I need to get back to Olympus to check on those who are recovering" he vanished.

I handed the guitar to Thalia. "Would you mind taking this back to the cabin? I have some old friends to talk to". The theatre was draining out now as the half bloods went back to their cabins for free time before curfew. Thalia nodded as she guessed what I was going to do. "I don't mind. Have fun and watch out for Reyna, she will probably not be happy" I smirked and decided to have some fun at her expense. "Is there a reason you only mentioned Reyna Thalia? You have a secret crush or something?" I expected Thalia to scowl but to my surprise she blushed slightly and walked off and this caused my grin to widen.

I turned to Artemis. "I will be back in a little while because I need to go have a very fun reunion to get to" Artemis smiled. "Go say hello to your friends. It has been five years after all" I smirked and headed towards Zeus's fist with Bianca and Zoë right behind me.

When we got there everyone I had invited was already there. Along with Jason, Hazel, Frank, Reyna and Piper was Rachel, Clarisse, Chris and Chiron. When they saw me some looked confused and others were just waiting. Clarisse spoke up. "Why did you give me a note to come here now?" I smirked. "Because I felt that you should probably get to be involved in this". "Involved in what?" Jason had spoke this time "What are we involved in and why are you with the hunters, I thought they hated all males?" I shrugged. "They do". "Then why do they allow you to stay with them?". I smirked again. "You will get your answers in a minute but first why don't you just enjoy this reunion?". This made almost everyone there confused. "What reunion?" it was Hazel this time. Chiron was looking at me and then it seemed to click and he gasped. "You don't mean.." he was looking at me with tears forming in his eyes. I smiled. "Yes. I do" I then flipped back my hood. "Hey guys" I said. "It's been a while"

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **There you have it. Pertemis is now officially in the story yay! Percy has also now returned to camp, cheered up the campers and revealed his identity to his old friends. The swords I included in the story are shamelessly stolen from the fate series in which I possess no rights to but I liked the swords so I decided to include them in my story. The full reunion scene will happen next chapter and I hope I can do it justice but you can bet that there is going to be some very entertaining reactions. I am also very happy to announce that this is my longest chapter by far! It is more than double my second longest chapter which was Hell. I wanted to thank you guys for being so patient and I wanted to know if you would prefer longer chapters like this because I can do them it will just take longer or would you like slightly shorter chapters which will not take as long to write. Please either PM me or review to tell me which you would prefer. Sorry it took Forever for me to update but I have been mega busy as I have my GCSE's so I have to spend most of my time on revising rather than writing this story but hopefully I will update faster. Until next time - Nightshade Guardian**


	17. Chapter 17: Reunion

**A/N: I am back again and I am glad that you guys enjoyed the last chapter considering how long it took me to write. I quickly wanted to give a shout out to one of my reviews, Death Fury who reminded me about the ancient laws that the god's are bound by so I will cover that in this chapter but anyway on to Chapter 17: Reunion - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Percy POV:**

After I flipped my hood down I suddenly felt incredibly nervous. How were they going to react? I had suddenly reappeared with the hunt after five years of no contact so I braced myself for some possible lightning but, surprisingly, none came. "Percy!" screamed both Piper and Hazel before charging me and enveloping me in a hug. I smiled. The nervousness going away as I hugged them back before I suddenly felt a fist slam into my stomach and I doubled over coughing. Hazel smirked. "That is for not even messaging us for five years!". Despite the pain I grinned. "Nice to see you too". Hazel grinned and held her hand out to help me up.

After I got up, Reyna walked forward and I started to sweat as she was not the most forgiving person but I relaxed as she just smiled and held out her hand. "It's good you're finally back" I smiled and took her hand and then suddenly I felt myself being thrown and landed painfully on the floor. "Don't you ever do anything like that again or I will personally kill you. I laughed. "Duly noted". As I stood up Chiron walked over with tears in his eyes. "Percy my boy, is that really you?" I smiled as I embraced him in a hug. "Yes it is Chiron. I came back".

After I let go of Chiron I turned around to see Clarisse storming towards me. "Is it too late to say that i'm sorry?" I asked before receiving a fist to the face that sent me stumbling backwards. "You better have a very good explanation for this Prissy" but even while she said the words she was smiling. I grinned. "I do but does anyone else want to hit me before I start?" I then received a light punch on my shoulder from Bianca with a slight smirk. "Very funny Bianca". Her smirk widened. Hazel frowned. "Bianca? As in Bianca di Angelo? You have some serious explaining to do Percy". I shrugged. "True but first I think there is someone who we need to talk to don't we?" as I said this I looked at Bianca who looked slightly nervous but I smiled. "It will be fine. I promise" she smiled and I waved my hand creating a rainbow. I chucked in a drachma and spoke. "Iris, Please show me Nico". Everyone seemed very surprised at this but the screen shimmered showing Nico asleep in the underworld. "Hey! Death breath, wake up!". Nico jumped and woke, looking around for the source of the voice. "In front of you". He turned and saw me. "Percy? Wha- how?" I just smirked. "Get your underworld butt over to Zeus's fist and i'll explain". The message vanished.

I turned to Bianca. "Hide behind the tree, I can't wait to see his reaction" Bianca grinned then hid before Nico walked out of some shadows. "You said you were going to explain so start explaining" he seemed irritated and I wondered if it was because I hadn't contacted him since the underworld incident. "Sure" I noticed Bianca had snuck up behind him with a grin. "But first you might want to turn around". He looked puzzled but turned round and when he did his mouth dropped. "Hey Nico" Bianca said and before she could do anything Nico swept her up in a hug. After he let her go he turned to me and noticed Zoë. His expression hardened. "Explain how they are here right now" his aura was slowly growing and glowing a deep purple. I shrugged. "Sure. Just sit down with all the others and I will explain". Nobody seemed very happy apart from Chiron but they all sat down.

"Most of you know why I left camp but for the few of you who don't I will explain". I then recounted how Ryan had turned everyone against me, made it so I had no friends and took my girlfriend away from me. "Percy…" Piper looked as if she didn't know what to say so I just smiled. "It's ok Pipes, it doesn't matter". She narrowed her eyes but said nothing. Zoë looked surprised that it was a female breaking a males heart not the other way around but kept quiet. "After that I left camp and went to see my mother thinking that it would be nice to spend some time with her after what had happened". I stopped before taking a deep breath. "I sense a but coming and I don't think that we are going to like it" Jason said and the others nodded apart from Nico who probably already knew.

"But I guess fate really didn't like me that day because when I got there I found Paul with a spear through his chest and an Empousa draining my mother of blood". Everyone looked shocked and some of them gasped. "Oh gods, Percy. I don't know what to say". This was from Zoë so I just smiled. "I know. It's fine" my voice was quiet and she could tell that it was not at all fine. "I then found out that the empousa had been sent by Gaia before we beat her just in case we won" Everyone looked down as if they couldn't imagine how horrible it must have been.

"I killed the empousa and then got ready to kill myself". This was almost spoke in a whisper but everyone looked even more shocked than before. "Why?" this was Jason. "Why not come and talk to one of us?". I just smiled sadly "I had just lost everything and I felt I couldn't go on so I wanted to kill myself. I would have done it but Hestia stopped me". I then went on to talk about how we had buried them at Montauk and then being taken back to her palace and being adopted by Hera and becoming Hestia's champion. Jason whistled. "You became the son of the queen of the gods and champion of the hearth? That is pretty cool even if it came at a horrible price". I smiled sadly. "Yea but I am afraid it only gets worse" all but two of the people there looked confused. "I went out to train and help demigods get to their camps or the hunters if they had bad experiences with men in the past but before I could I was captured". "What? Who managed to capture you?" this was Clarisse. I did not smile this time. "It's better that I just show you".

I waved my hand and a mist screen appeared. "Iris, If you wouldn't mind". My voice was soft and quiet. I did not enjoy going through this once again. The screen then played them the same thing that had been shown to the council but stopped after Hyperion. "Why do I feel like you are not showing us everything?" Hazel asked. "Because I do not want anyone to see what else I had to go through before I escaped". Zoë and Bianca flinched at this as they knew full well what had happened. "But Percy, How did you escape?". This was Reyna. I did not even look up. "They did something even worse than what you saw and that caused me to snap. I lost control of my powers and made two of them fade". There was a stunned silence.

"You made two titans fade?". This was Zoë as even she did not fully know what had happened after they had used her. "Yea, and that's also when I found you two". It was not technically a lie just not telling the whole truth to the others. "What? You found them in Tartarus?" Nico looked even more pale than before. I nodded slowly. "Yea, they had been through the same torture as I had and I couldn't leave them there". The ground started to rumble slightly and skeletal hands started clawing their way up. "Nico, control your power please" I asked but he did not currently seem possible of doing it. I remembered something that I could do thanks to the powers of Hera and Hestia and held out my hand and started to exert some of my power to try and calm him down. The effect was slow but it was working. The aura diminished before fading completely and the skeletal hands went back into the ground.

They all looked shocked. "Percy, how did you do that?" Reyna asked with a hint of fear in her voice. "I will explain in a minute but for now I need to continue explaining what happened. We escaped with some help from something in the pit and I hid the girls in a cave that had strong natural magic which would help protect them and then I spent the next three years helping demigods". No one was speaking so I continued. "Then came the day I was found out. I was dropping off a new demigod at the hunt when I heard the sounds of fighting. The hunt had been ambushed". Zoë and Bianca looked on in worry. They were facing near three hundred monsters and were completely overwhelmed. I stepped in when a cyclops was about to kill Thalia" Jason started to spark at this but Piper managed to calm him down with her charm speak. "I incinerated the cyclops and then turned to the other monsters". I then described the battle and what happened.

"After all the monsters were gone I was confronted by Artemis and all the uninjured hunters who demanded to know why I was at their campsite. I told them about the new demigod but they didn't let me leave so I had to put them to sleep". Bianca frowned. "How did you do that? As far as I know water or fire cannot send someone to sleep". I cursed. "I knew I forgot something. I became the champion of Hecate after saving some of her children so she gave me some powers in magic which I was able to use to put them to sleep". I then went on and explained the events of the council meeting that happened afterwards which ended with me revealing who I was and being assigned to the hunt.

"I doubt that Artemis was too pleased about that" remarked Zoë. I smiled. "No, she wasn't but Zeus insisted and she didn't need a choice so I was assigned there" I then explained about what happened when I arrived and when I got to Thalia Jason laughed. "Sounds about right for her" I just smiled. I then talked about how I was doing all the chores and some of the hunters were making it difficult. "I'm not surprised" remarked Zoë. "You are a male after all". Then I got to the fight with Thalia. "Actually I think it might be better to show you this part too" another mist screen appeared and started playing the fight between me and Thalia without even being asked. When it ended everyone looked impressed. "You really improved in those years. I am so very proud of you Percy" This was Chiron and I smiled. "Thanks but I have one more fight to show you"

The screen then played the fight between me and Phoebe. Zoë growled when she attacked unfairly but everyone was shocked into silence when I caught the dagger that was thrown from less than a foot away. "Percy, How on earth?" this was Bianca. "I knew that people could be fast but not that fast" I smirked. "You will enjoy this then" before they could ask what then screen showed how Phoebe was suddenly unconscious. "Whoa" was all Reyna could say with lots of respect in her eyes. I smirked. "I can slow it down and show you what happened if you want". Everyone nodded and the screen rewound and began playing very slowly. They watched as I threw the dagger on the ground and then punched Phoebe multiple times hitting her pressure points and she fell to the floor unconscious. "You did that in an instant? Percy you scare me sometimes" This was Reyna again. I shrugged. "I dislike people who cheat. After this I finished the chores and had some free time so decided to go and visit Nico".

Everyone turned to Nico. "You knew?" This was Hazel. He avoided her gaze. "It's slightly more complicated than that. Do you mind if I explain this part Percy?". I shook my head. Nico then explained about how they were attacked by Alcyoneus and how he was dazed on the floor when I appeared. "I had no idea if it was just my imagination or he really was there and before I could ask he was in a fight with Alcyoneus". Hazel and Frank looked at him. "How did you beat him? If he was reborn in the underworld then he should have been unbeatable". I avoided their gaze. "I had a way around that and I made sure that he wouldn't come back. To be honest, if he had not have said the hunt was being attacked I would not have beat him". Zoë looked at me. "You cared enough for the hunt to defeat a giant on your own?" she then surprised me by jumping up and giving me a hug. "Thank you". I smiled and hugged her back. "No problem but he still managed to give me a hard battle and I was already badly wounded before I managed to get back to the hunt".

I then explained about the battle and when I got to what happened to Thalia, Jason was trembling and was only staying calm because of Piper. "Would you like to see what happened next or me tell you?". Frank was the first one to speak. "Might be easier to show us". I nodded and the screen replayed the battle. Everyone winced when Thalia was thrown against the tree but gasped at when the Chimera and Echidna appeared. I smirked. "I was surprised too. After the St. Louis arch" everyone gawked.

"You fought the Chimera before this?" asked Zoë who only seemed to be becoming more impressed. I shrugged. "More like I got my ass handed to me. I only survived by falling into the river". Nico looked at me. "I heard that story before. You were twelve so it was impressive you survived at all". Before anyone could comment I quickly spoke. "Anyway" and the scene continued and showed what happened to Echidna and the Chimera. Then came the shocker as they saw me mend Thalia's back using my healing powers before passing out and the screen going blank. Jason came over and gave me a strong hug. "Thanks for saving my sister". I smiled. "No problem. She is my family too"

I skipped over the time where I was in Apollo's temple but then I reached the prophecy. "I don't know if you heard it but just after that was when the prophecy was announced". Almost everyone looked blank except from Rachel. "I have heard bits and pieces as the spirit of the oracle is slowly regaining strength after the incident in the giant war but I don't know the whole thing". I nodded. "Ok then. I'll tell you the prophecy. The oldest threat shall rise and start the war, Olympus and it's children he considers a chore, But a broken guardian will stand tall, To prevent the gods and the worlds fall, The camps and hunt shall stand as one, But in the end the hero is gone"

Most people there looked very confused but a select few had figured out what it meant. "Percy…" Chiron began but I just shook my head. "It's ok Chiron, I knew it would happen one day". What will happen?" asked Frank confused but by now the others had caught onto what the prophecy meant. I just gave him a sad smile. "The prophecy is about me and it seems that I have cheated Thanatos too many times" everyone was quiet after that but I continued. "I think I can show you one more thing before curfew so I will show you the spar I had with Artemis.

The screen began to show me and Artemis holding the shinai and then the spar began. Everyone, especially the two hunters, were shocked that I was keeping up with Artemis and then watched open mouthed as I seemingly won. "Percy, you won against milady?" this was Zoë who was extremely shocked. "Not exactly. Just watch" then they were all stunned into silence as they watched Artemis kiss me briefly then sweep my legs out and hold the shinai at my neck. The mist faded. "I will fill you guys on the rest of the events tomorrow at the same time as we did today but it is almost curfew so we need to go back to the cabins before the harpies come and eat us". Nico scowled. "You still owe us explanations" the others nodded. I sighed. "I will tell you the rest tomorrow". They didn't look happy but they left to go back to their cabins including Nico who was going to stay at the Hades cabin.

Chiron came up to me before he left. "I have never been more proud of any hero Percy in all my years of training. Thank you for coming back" I smiled and gave him one last hug before he trotted off. I turned to Zoë and Bianca. "Ready to head back to the cabin?" They nodded and I flipped my hood up before we headed back towards the Artemis cabin.

When we got there Artemis was sitting on the small porch outside the cabin. She looked up and smiled when she saw us. "The reunion went well then?" I smiled and nodded. "There are still some of the more recent things to cover but they are mostly caught up". Artemis nodded. "Ok. Zoë, Bianca. I would like you two to go inside while I talk to our Guardian". They nodded and headed inside the cabin. Before I could ask Artemis what she wanted to talk about she had pulled me into a hug which I gladly returned. "I can imagine that it was hard for you to do that Percy" she said softly. "I have seen what happened in your past and I am really happy that you are able to share your experiences now" I smiled and just held her tighter as I fought to stop from shaking.

After a while we separated and she smiled. "You should get some rest, we will still continue training in the morning, including archery" I paled. "Do we really have to do archery?" Artemis gave me a grin. "I refuse to have someone in the hunt who cannot use a bow so I will endeavour to teach you tomorrow". I sighed. "This is not going to go well" she smirked. "I know but it can at least provide some amusement for the hunters now come inside and get some sleep. You are going to need it" I just smiled and shook my head "I am going to sit out here for a bit" Artemis frowned, knowing that there was something I wasn't telling her but let it go. "Ok but don't stay up too long otherwise you won't be ready for my training" and she stepped into the cabin with a grin.

I sat down on the edge of the porch and looked up at the sky. There was no moon out tonight so Artemis had the night off which meant she could regain her energy for the upcoming battles. I looked up at the constellation which had become my favourite since I was fourteen, the huntress.

I leant back against the cabin wall and before I knew what was happening I was asleep which unfortunately meant that I slipped into a nightmare. I had honestly been expecting it. After talking about the death of my family and what happened in Tartarus it was almost guaranteed. I was back in the forest clearing where Phoebe had pulled her 'prank' but this time there were four ghosts there. "It was your fault" one of them said. "It was your fault that we died". I started to shake. "No" I said. "No, I never meant for this to happen". Another of the ghosts spoke up. "Well it did and you failed to stop it". I was crying now. "No. I tried my best but I couldn't save you". The third ghost spoke. "You cost us our future. You should feel guilty". I couldn't handle it anymore and was about to snap when the setting changed.

I was back in the setting of infinite space and this time the fates were waiting. "Perseus we neglected to mention your domains and restrictions that were placed on you after the ceremony to make you a god" stated one of the fates. I stood up and took a deep breath to calm down. "Okay then. What are my domains if am a god now?". The middle fate spoke. "First of all, you are technically not a god as you had too much mix of power so you are a hybrid immortal which we have decided call a guardian". I had to stifle a laugh at the irony of this. "Ok then what are my domains then?".

The fate on the left spoke up. "You have been granted the domains over Time, light, hero's, tides, swordsmanship, protection, nature and the hunt. You may still call upon the blessings placed upon you when you were a demigod as they will help you to protect people" I grinned when I heard this but then became confused at some of the domains. "I gather most of them but why light, nature and the hunt?" The fates grinned. "Because you have defeated Hyperion twice and made him fade so by ancient law his domains pass to you as the stars would pass to the son of Jupiter if he ever becomes a god. Nature because of Pan and The hunt because of Gration. You will remain unrestricted by the ancient laws in a similar manner to how Artemis is with the hunt. You may become involved if your domains are involved" I nodded. "Is there anything else lady fates?" one of them grinned. "Don't mess up with Artemis or that might really screw up our plans" before I could even register how shocked I was I suddenly woke up.

I was lying on a bed at the back of the cabin. That was odd. I remembered falling asleep outside so who had moved me inside. I looked round and saw that Artemis was fast asleep on one of the beds in her twelve year old form and looked like she had not moved all night so it was not her. I then saw that Zoë was sitting on a chair at the back of the room and looked troubled. I sat up on the bed and the movement caught her eye. "Go back to sleep Percy, you need it" I noticed that her eyes seemed red. Had she been crying? "Zoë, what's…" before I could finish she walked up and punched me round the face. Because of her new strength the impact threw me back down onto the bed and left me slightly disorientated. "Why Percy? Why do you blame yourself for what happened?".

I realised that she must have seen my dream or I had been talking in my sleep. "You know full well that we made our own choices so why do you still blame yourself?". She was keeping her voice low but I could tell she was angry. "Zoë, how did you see my dream?". She glared at me. "I was involved in the dream so I was dragged into it so I saw everything. So tell me, why blame yourself?" I smiled sadly. "I guess you never knew did you? My fatal flaw" Zoë's face seemed to drain of anger. "What is it?" she asked, her voice much softer now. "Loyalty. As Athena herself once put it, I would sacrifice the world to save a friend and as such the friends I saw die become a much heavier burden to bear" Zoë then walked up and hugged me. "Percy, I am so sorry". I could feel her crying. I just held her tighter in the hug. "It's okay, if it wasn't for that I doubt any of the hunters would still be here".

Zoë separated and looked confused. "What are you talking about?". I cursed. I had not meant to let that slip. Zoë cracked her knuckles. "Okay, I will tell you but I don't want you to tell anyone else" Zoë nodded. I then took my coat off but before she could question what I was doing she saw my right arm and her eyes widened. "Percy, what happened?". I smiled sadly. "Gration. He attacked the hunt a second time about six months later but this time he had a more powerful weapon and the element of surprise so I was forced to delay him while the hunt escaped and because of that they are alive but I lost my right arm".

Zoë had tears in her eyes. "You really are the only decent male on the planet. Sacrificing your own arm so the hunt could escape. Do they know?" I shook my head. "If they did I think they would feel as if they would owe me an unpayable debt and I don't want that" Zoë nodded and then surprisingly gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for saving my sisters" I gave her a warm smile. "No problem. They are my family now too" Zoë gave me one last smile then went to an empty bed. "Goodnight Percy". I put my coat back on then lay back on the bed. "Goodnight Zoë" and then I fell asleep. Back into the nightmares.

 **Artemis POV:**

I woke up just before the horn to signal that it was time for Breakfast. I looked around and noticed that all the hunters were up except Zoë which was odd as she was usually the first to wake up and unsurprisingly Percy was still fast asleep. The other hunters were trying to get him to wake up by tapping him on his right arm and it was having no success. _Obviously._ I thought. _He can't feel anything on that arm anymore._ I stood up and stretched out and Thalia noticed. "Milady would you mind helping us with Percy, he is being incredibly stubborn to wake up. I smirked. Time for some revenge for having me so worried when he was injured. I walked up to his ear and shouted. "PERSEUS!". The effect was both immediate and hilarious. He jumped up only to hit his head on the bunk above him. All the hunters burst into laughter and this caused Zoë to wake up. When she saw what happened I thought she would laugh but she seemed almost annoyed whereas Percy was definitely not in a good mood.

"Was there any need for that at all Artemis?". I shrugged. "You were not waking up so I decided to take matters into my own hands now get up we have breakfast then training". Percy's look darkened for a second then he just stood up, flicked his hood up and walked outside. Thalia frowned. "Whats up with kelp head?". Surprisingly Zoë spoke up. "He was probably even more tired than any of you because of what he did yesterday so I doubt that yelling into his ear was going to help his mood" she then stood up, stretched and walked out the cabin.

When we got to the dining pavilion Percy was nowhere to be seen. Had me yelling into his ear really upset him that much? Before I could ask anyone I noticed he was suddenly leaning against a pillar towards the back of the pavilion. When he saw us he just snapped his fingers and a massive buffet of delicious looking food appeared on the hunter's table at which all the campers seemed jealous so I just smirked. "Hunters only" Thalia called out. "No exceptions". I then noticed Percy had disappeared again. I resolved to look for him after breakfast.

Before we could tuck in I heard some wolf whistles. I looked over to see Apollo's brat Ryan and some of his siblings smirking. "Why don't you fine ladies come over here and give us some 'entertainment' while you're here?". A look of shock went over most people's faces at their comments. I was about to go and castrate him when two things happened. Firstly a bolt of dark red energy came flying from what looked like the direction of the arena and blasted him off his chair and then Reyna was holding her Gladius over his throat.

"Do not dare to insult the huntresses of Lady Diana. There are some very fine warriors in her group that I would gladly fight alongside with my life". Was it my imagination or did she glance at Thalia when she said this? Ryan just smirked. "Well if it is not the cowardly praetor of New Rome. I must say you are very nice to look at". Reyna turned a dark shade of red and was about to impale him when he was struck by a lightning bolt courtesy of Thalia. "Shut your filthy mouth you piece of trash!". This was Thalia and she seemed pissed. "I will not let you insult one of my friends! Especially after what you did to my cousin!". Ryan shook himself to get rid of the after effects of the lightning bolt and smirked again. "Are you talking about that coward Jackson? He was a bastard and did not deserve to be at this camp". I suddenly felt very angry at this and before I could stop myself I summoned a hunting knife and threw it so that it impaled the ground just next to his face.

The campers and hunters alike turned to me, shocked. I quickly tried to make up a reason as to why I had done that. I saw Thalia and Zoë smirking and I really hoped they hadn't figured it out as it would not be good if they did. "I will not stand to have you insult one of the only decent males on this earth" I said. "Perseus Jackson worked his whole life to protect his friends and could care less about rewards whereas you are a piece of filth that only cares for his own fame and are a disgrace to the name of demigods". Ryan sneered. "Who are you to tell me what to do bitch? A lowly hunter? Please, you just joined the hunt because no one wanted to fuck you". The whole camp went silent and I exploded.

"How dare you boy. I am not just a hunter I am the Olympian goddess Artemis of the Hunt and the Olympian council and I will show you why" I started glow but before I could move towards him Percy was suddenly in front of me. His eyes, while they still held annoyance were firm. "Do not do this Artemis" I glared at him. Now was not the time to try and stop me."Get out the way!". He held firm. "He is provoking you. Yes he is a piece of shit but he does not deserve your attention. Please calm down". I was so angry I did something that I instantly regretted. I punched Percy. It sent him flying through the air and smashing into the big house. Everybody looked even more shocked. Even Zoë and Thalia looked reproachful. Percy then stood up and walked out of the rubble, brushed himself down and the rubble seemed to rewind and the big house went back to how it was before. Percy then looked at me with some pain in his eyes. "I will see you at training" and then he vanished.

Chiron spoke up. "While Ryan may have been severely out of line I must remind you that you may not kill or injure him as he is a camper and as such the responsibility punish him falls upon me. I will set him appropriate punishment from tomorrow onward". Ryan smirked and was about to say something but Thalia took the opportunity to whack Ryan over the head with her spear and he fell unconscious. "Thank the gods he is unconscious" Reyna stated as Chiron picked him up and carried him back to the big house where he would be carrying out at least two weeks of Kitchen duty and then whatever else he would get. "Thanks for that Thalia, he is almost as annoying as Valdez". I noticed Thalia blushed slightly then smiled. "I know what you mean. Vasquez is probably the most annoying Demigod there is". A voice came over from the Hephaestus "Hey I resent that!". Reyna turned round. "Well too bad!". All the hunters started laughing but none more than Thalia. Looked like I would have to have a small chat with her about that. Not that I minded that much anymore, there was no part in the hunter oath saying to swear of women if they so chose. I would probably have to change the hunter oath soon anyway if my relationship with Percy became public.

The rest of breakfast passed without incident and only a few murmurs about how the big house had fixed itself. After we finished I told the hunters to gather their weapons and head to the arena. The only people that stayed were Bianca, Zoë, Thalia and, surprisingly, Reyna came over to join us. "Lady Diana, I hope you don't mind but I would like to train with your hunters today" I smiled. "I don't mind. You seem to be a very capable warrior and I admire how you stood up for my hunt". Reyna smiled. "Thank you milady. I would gladly do it again". Another sideways glance at Thalia. I turned to Zoë and Bianca. "Time to give you your weapons again" Bianca smiled but Zoë spoke up. "I can't use normal bows now milady". I was confused by that. "Why?" Zoë just picked up a piece of silverware from the table and held it between her two hands then effortlessly snap it.

"How did you do that?" I asked. "Percy apparently gave me the powers I should have as a demi-titan and daughter of Atlas which include enhanced strength, high levels of stamina, high pain threshold, and tougher skin and bones" I stared for a second then shook my head. "Ok then, looks like I will need to get one created that is much stronger and will not snap with your newfound super strength" Zoë smiled and then I turned to Bianca and snapped my fingers causing her bow and knives to appear. "Those are yours now let us go and see what damage Percy has done"

 **Reyna POV:**

To say I was surprised at the scene in the arena would be an understatement. The automatons that Leo and the Hephaestus cabin had created to help us train were completely destroyed. Some had slash marks through them and others were in pieces but what really made me stop was the figure of Percy in the middle of the arena. He was currently glowing with power and seemed to be sparring against the only remaining automaton and he was easily kicking its' ass.

I watched as he delivered one final punch that sent it flying backwards with an explosion of red and black energy. _He must have been the one to blast that annoying son of Apollo off his chair._ I grinned at that but then remembered why he hated him even more than I did.

Percy was no longer glowing. _It looked like he was venting anger about something judging by the state of the automatons._ He then turned around and noticed us then gave a low bow. "Lady Artemis". His voice seemed much colder than the night before. Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Would you mind telling me why all this happened?". Percy shrugged. "He was not in a good mood so he used this to blow off some steam. _Who is he talking about?_ I wondered. Artemis sighed. "Can I please talk to him? I need to apologise." Percy shrugged. "I can try but he does not want to talk to anyone at the moment which, unfortunately, includes you. It is not your fault it is just he did not have a good night." Artemis nodded. "Ok then. I will try and talk to him later but for now could you please fix the damage as I don't think the Hephaestus cabin would be too pleased". I got the sense that he scowled. "As far as I am concerned they lost all rights to complain five years ago but he is annoyingly able to forgive them". Percy waved his hand and suddenly all the automatons were back in their usual place and completely undamaged.

Percy then looked up and saw me. "Oh, I didn't realise you were here praetor. I suppose I should introduce myself as he doesn't want to. My name is Invel, nice to meet you finally". I was very confused. "What in Jupiter's name are you talking about?". Then I saw his eyes and noticed they were pure ice blue unlike last night when they were sea green with flecks of other colours. He sighed. "I will try and get him to explain later but for now, you wanted to train?". Artemis nodded and the figure, who I was beginning to realise was not Percy, moved out of the arena.

He was about to call out something when he stopped moving and his eyes returned to normal and he gave us a quick smile. "I will be by the beach if anyone needs me". His voice seemed quiet as if he had a lot on his mind. He then walked off towards the beach at the edge of camp. The hunters then began to pile into the arena with the exception of Artemis who gestured for me to follow the hunters into the arena. I did and when I did Artemis called down to us from the edge. "As usual, split into pairs and spar against each other then swap over every few minutes. I am off to teach our reclusive guardian about archery" as she said this she smiled and then vanished.

I was firstly paired with one of the younger hunters, Lisa I think her name was, and I was surprised at how well she used the space between the Pilum I was using and me to get the advantage on me. Luckily though the fight was taking the other matter off my mind. Thalia. It was odd, I had met her a few times when the hunt came to visit and while I still was slightly resentful towards Jason and the daughter of Venus I found it fun and easy to talk to Thalia even if she was his sister. Then I started to feel as if I wanted to be near her all the time and while it was not unpleasant it was slightly odd.

After a few minutes we changed over and I was now facing off against Thalia. She grinned. "This should be fun" she stated before charging me with her spear and shield up. I could tell she was a strong fighter and it made me want to enjoy the fight more than I was already. Towards the end of the spar she swept her spear along aiming to knock me off my feet but I jumped over it. The problem came when I landed. I stumbled slightly and fell forward, crashing into Thalia almost like a hug and we fell to the floor. We both groaned and went slightly red. "Reyna would you mind getting off me?" Thalia asked and I rolled off her then stood up and held out my hand to help her up. She blushed slightly then took it. It felt oddly nice to hold her hand. After she stood up she smiled. "Thanks though I don't think that we want to repeat that again anytime soon". I blushed. As much as it had been awkward I had not minded the experience.

Later on I was thinking about what I should do. While I still held the position of praetor in New Rome there were some who did not trust me and parts of the senate thought I was a traitor for allying with the Greeks. I sighed. As much as New Rome was my home I was beginning to want out of all the politics. Not to mention the fact that there was a certain daughter of Venus that was constantly attacking Jason's face. Then there was the problem of a small group of demigods who thought that Octavian had the right idea and that we should wipe out the Greeks and were constantly trying to persuade the senate to their views. I groaned. Joining the hunters would be so much simpler but could I really abandon Rome and join the hunters?

 **Artemis POV:**

I arrived at the beach and the first thing that I noticed is that the sea was more violent than usual and I could guess that the cause was the figure who was sitting halfway down the beach and seemed to be looking out at the sea. I looked around and made sure no one else was there before calling out. "Percy". He turned round and from what I could see of his eyes he had been crying. "Artemis" he replied in almost a whisper. I walked over and sat down next to him as he continued to stare out at the ocean. "Do you mind telling me what is wrong?" I asked him. It was clear something was bothering him and I felt horrible not being able to help. "It's just being back here reminds me of all the good times I had before that bastard Ryan showed up" I noticed the sea was becoming more choppy and winds were starting to pick up. I reached over hesitantly and took his hand. "I get that it must be hard but please remember that I am here for you as is Thalia even if she does tend to use lightning to try and get her point across". I noticed he smiled slightly at this and laughed quietly.

"Sorry for punching you through the wall" I said as I felt bad that I had done that because of my idiot brother's son. "Don't worry about it. It was not your fault. Why did you come down here anyway Arty as I am guessing that it wasn't just to see me" I smiled and lightly punched him in the arm. "Very funny fish boy. I came to teach you archery". He groaned. "Do you have to?" I gave him a grin. "Yes I do as I will not allow anyone in the hunt if they can't shoot straight". He sighed. "I don't have a choice do I?". "No". He smiled and then stood up. "Ok then but I would suggest somewhere where I can't accidentally shoot someone" I laughed and then flashed us both into the forest.

When we got there I clicked my fingers and summoned a target for him. "Okay Percy, first you need a bow" I said and as I was about to summon one he spoke up. "That's ok. I have one" I was surprised as a black long bow with a hand guard appeared in his left hand. I looked at him. "Where did you get that?" he shrugged. "I guess it must be a new weapon created when I became an immortal". I nodded. "Okay but now I want you to get into a firing position without releasing the arrow". He nodded and settled into a stance and drew the bow causing an arrow to appear on the bow. The arrow was slightly different from normal arrows. The tip did not have the typical arrow head but instead had a cylinder of celestial bronze that curved together to form a deadly point designed to pierce through armour and flesh.

His basic form was not terrible but there was still lots to be sorted out. I walked over and started kicking his legs out slightly into a better position. "Move your leg backwards more and your feet straighter. He did as I said and waited again. I looked over and saw a few more mistakes but I wanted to see how this would go. "Okay then. Aim for the target and release the arrow". I knew Percy was bad but admittedly I did not think it would be this bad. As he released the arrow his back bent slightly and the arrow then flew off to the side, hit a rock, deflected of a tree branch then embedded itself in the ground at our feet. I sighed. "This is going to take a while"

After a few hours we returned to camp and saw that the hunters were still in the arena and were arguing with some of the demigods. I noticed one of them was Ryan. When we got closer we could hear the discussion and I grit my teeth. "Just move out of our way, we are better than you and because of that you should just let us train and then we can 'teach' you". I noticed the smirk on his face but before I could do anything a blast of energy sent him stumbling backwards. "Who would dare attack me? I am the best swordsman in camp!". I heard Percy laugh next to me then he jumped down. "I highly doubt that you are the best considering there are people here that have been for years but if you really believe that then I will happily fight you. If you win, you can either reveal who I am or whatever but if I win, you have to stop bothering the hunters". Ryan growled. "Fine. We will fight here in one hour" he then went off, presumably to get ready.

Reyna walked up. "Thanks Percy, He was being a pain". "I know he was. Why do you think did that?" I could hear the sarcasm in his voice and I smiled. Looks like the old Percy was starting to shine through. Thalia walked up. "How are you going to fight him without your sword or the scythe? They are quite recognisable" Percy smiled then pulled the twin swords from the sheaths on his upper legs. "I will use these. It is not as if anyone knows what these are" It was true. They were new weapons that were created as weapons of power. Thalia's eyes narrowed. "Where did you get them? The last I saw was you being taken by Apollo so you need to explain" I heard Percy swear under his breath. Obviously he had forgotten he had not told the hunters what had happened. "I will explain after the fight" and he left it at that.

The camp must have heard about the fight as all the cabins except Hypnos since they never did anything but sleep and they were watching as Ryan entered the arena wearing full armour and a shield whilst brandishing his sword which all seemed to glow slightly gold. Percy just stood there with his two swords. Waiting. "Are you quite done showing off son of Apollo?". Ryan turned. "Oh, so the little girls bitch didn't run? I'm surprised". I heard Percy sigh. "Fine. Chiron, please referee the spar. No powers are to be used, any weapon is allowed with the exception of throwing weapons, winner is by unconsciousness or death blow withheld. Please start the match when you are ready".

Percy stood a few feet away from Ryan and he looked relaxed yet confident which I thought made him look like he was in control, which he was. "Fighters, begin!" Chiron yelled and Ryan started to circle Percy with his shield up, waiting for Percy to make the first move and he did not disappoint.

Percy dashed forwards moving fast enough that it was hard to predict what he would do. He quickly slashed upwards with the white sword in his right hand which Ryan blocked with the shield before Percy flipped the black blade over and hooked it under the shield then pulled so that he wrenched the shield away, taking away his opponent's biggest advantage. Ryan tried to capitalise on both of Percy's swords being occupied and swung, aiming for the neck, but Percy just leaned back and using the position to add extra force to ripping the shield away. Percy then kicked Ryan back so that he had space to flip his swords over so they were both facing upwards.

Ryan then dashed forwards and swept his sword upwards trying to put him off balance but again Percy just leaned back. This went on for a minute before Percy decided to end the fight. Ryan went for a downwards strike when Percy simply dropped one of his swords and grabbed the sword. Before Ryan could do anything he swept his remaining sword across and held it millimetres from his neck. "I win" he stated simply before dropping Ryan then picking up his dropped sword. "Now you will leave the hunters alone". Then Percy turned around and started walking back towards us then everyone froze at what happened next. As Percy began walking back Ryan stood up and drove his sword through Percy's back.

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 **A/N:**

 **There you go. Chapter 17 is done. I would say I am sorry for leaving it on a cliffhanger but I'm not. Next chapter I will hopefully begin to include more of the main story instead of filler but I can't promise. Hopefully I will get the next chapter up soon as I am in a productive phase at the moment. Until next time please review so I know what to improve - Nightshade Guardian**

 **A quick note, Artemis is still bound by certain ancient laws while not out hunting which is why she was not able to kill Ryan for his insults because it is not directly counted as a challenge in combat or a threat to any of her hunters otherwise Ryan would have been dead upon the arrival of the hunt for his insults and actions towards Percy. This was brought to my attention by one of my reviewers and while I may not agree with the way he phrased it I should have included this detail already.**


	18. Chapter 18: Some well deserved Revenge

**A/N: Hey guys I hope you liked the last chapter even if I did leave it on a cliffhanger which some of you didn't enjoy but this chapter will hopefully tie up that loose end and push the story forwards in regards to the main plot. I am also sorry for taking a long time to actually get the chapter published but I just didn't have any ideas on what to do with half the chapter but anyway, enjoy chapter 17 - Some well deserved revenge - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Third Person POV:**

The fight had been one sided from the start. While Ryan may have had better armour and a shield he had been simply outmatched by the other figure. Most of the camp didn't like Ryan anyway but he was still a good sword fighter. Then again only a handful of campers actually knew who the figure in silver and black was. The campers were slightly shocked at how easily the figure beat one of their strongest sword fighters in a matter of seconds. What caused the campers to go silent though was what happened next. Ryan stood up with a look of anger on his face, grabbed his sword and rammed it through the figures back.

The camp went dead silent as the figure stumbled forward then collapsed onto one knee. Ryan began to laugh. "Ha, I won. Now we will see who you were you piece of shit". Ryan then leaned forward, grabbed the figures hood and pulled it back. The whole camp gasped as now kneeling in front of them with a sword through his back was the hero that went missing five years ago. Percy Jackson. Ryan laughed again. "Oh this is just too fucking perfect, The disgraced hero comes crawling back into camp with a bunch of immortal girls who can't get a date. Now I really get to kill you!". There was a sadistic smile on his face now and everyone could agree that this son of Apollo had gone insane.

Ryan grabbed the sword in his back and it began to glow a very bright yet harsh light and Percy began to scream. The first Person to react was Artemis. She snarled and drew her bow but before she could fire the light in the sword suddenly died as did the light from his armour and shield. "What is happening?" Ryan asked as he let go and backed up. Then to everyone's surprise Percy just stood up and pulled the sword out of his back but what caught the attention of everyone was the colour of the blood that was now splattered on the floor and on the sword. Gold. Percy now had golden blood which only meant one thing and Ryan worked this out then paled. Percy had an evil grin on his face. "So you wish to kill me then? You have overstepped your bounds and now I may deal with you as I like" Ryan quickly tried to work out a escape. "But the ancient laws say you can't attack hero's". Percy's grin only widened. "True but you attacked me first and besides, I may act in any way within my domain which unfortunately for you includes hero's". Ryan then did the only thing he could, he tried to run.

He had taken two steps before Percy was in front of and swinging a katana that left a shallow cut on his arm. Ryan screamed like his whole arm had been cut off. "I will now inflict upon you one cut for each offence you have committed. Try to withstand it as by my count you have at least eleven left". Ryan tried to raise his shield to protect himself but it sheared right through the metal and sliced his forearm. Ryan screamed again and Percy didn't let up. Percy left numerous cuts and each one made Ryan scream out that sounded like each was a mortal wound. No one could figure out why except from a certain group of immortal's.

Ryan was left stumbling back and he almost seemed unfocused. Percy smirked. "I am surprised. You managed to survive the wounds inflicted by my sword. Too bad for you I am not finished" Percy was then suddenly in front of Ryan and a blast of red and black energy sent him flying against the wall.

 **Ryan POV:**

I felt myself crash into the wall and gasped in pain. That bastard. Just when I thought I would finally be able to prove I was the best at camp he goes and becomes a damn god and beats me effortlessly. I felt the blood falling onto the floor. Was I going to die here? Being shown up by a lousy son of Poseidon and laughed at by the camp? No. I refuse to die here. I will be the best. I will surpass them all. A dry and harsh voice laughed. Suddenly the world around me changed. I was in a place made entirely of flames and in front of me stood a figure that looked like a living fire. "So you don't want to die then? You want to be better than everyone else. I can help with that. If you want to be the best I'll help and we will start with the bastard that did this" I felt myself weakly smile. If he wanted to help me then who was I to reject and if we were to get some revenge on the bastard then I would do anything.

The world returned to normal and I could feel a new power and I couldn't wait to use it. That damn fish was talking to that stuck up bitch of a goddess. I smirked. My wounds were suddenly healed so there was no better time to take them both out than now. I staggered to my feet and the fish noticed me. I called upon that new power and I felt it respond as the flames I had seen in that world covered my hands. I thrust out my hands at the pair and flames shot forward only for the damn fish to push the goddess out the way as the flames consumed him. Damn. Killing the goddess would have been helpful to my master. I blinked. Master? What was I talking about?. Nevertheless I moved forward towards the goddess who had a determined look in her eyes and a pair of hunting daggers in her hands.

Before she could do anything I sent another wave of fire towards her forcing her to dodge. I kept at this for a short while noticing that no one in the audience could move seemingly paralysed with fear. I grinned. They should be afraid of me. Another wave of fire at the goddess but this time she tripped and I managed to grab her. She was screaming now as the fire burned her neck. I smiled a sadistic grin. We would see how loud she would scream after I had my fun with her. The fire responded to my will as it engulfed her before dissipating revealing her to be completely naked and exposed to me. She was struggling now and crying with terror in her eyes. My grin widened as I watched her breasts move about with her struggling. I could not help but imagine how they would move with what I had planned. I reached forward to claim my prize.

 **Percy POV:**

After I had sent Ryan into the wall I had started to walk back to the hunt when Artemis had flashed into the arena. "Was the use of that sword really necessary Perseus?". I gathered that since we were in front of a crowd she had to keep up her appearances. I shrugged. "Probably not but he crossed a line. He insulted you and the hunt and while I couldn't exactly kill him for that I could still make a fool of him. When he attempted to kill me that's when I decided that he didn't deserve to live anymore". Artemis smiled. "Thank you for caring about the hunt." She was about to say something else but I noticed that Ryan had stood up.

How? He should be dead! He thrust his hands forward and fire erupted out of them. I quickly pushed Artemis out of the way. She may be a goddess but fire would still hurt her unlike me. I then almost screamed out in pain as the fire engulfed me. This felt like a weaker version of what Gration did. I felt my coat burn away and it started to try and burn away at me. Invel spoke up in my mind. "These are a demon's flames! You must use my power to get rid of them!". The flames were causing my arm to super-heat which was painful as it was comprised of celestial bronze. I focused on the power Invel allowed me access to and with a yell released a blast that extinguished all the flames.

I looked around and saw that Ryan held a naked Artemis and was reaching forward as if to violate her. I would not allow him to hurt her! Never again will he hurt anyone I care about. I dashed forward and time seemed to be standing still as I moved. All I could see was Ryan's outstretched hand and the blade of ice that I held in my hand as I swung upwards and severed his hand. He screamed in pain and dropped Artemis. I quickly caught her and caused her clothes to reappear on her. She coughed and held her neck where Ryan had held her. I allowed a warm orange aura to envelop her and the burns began to fade. She smiled gratefully. "Thanks Percy". I allowed her to stand up and we both watched Ryan holding his wrist in pain as the blood was gushing out.

"Percy, I want you to let me take care of him". I nodded. "Go for it". Before Ryan could do anything Artemis dashed towards him and kicked him into the wall again. "This is what you get for touching me you filthy, perverted male!". She then proceeded to create two hunting knives and stab them through his wrists, pinning him to the wall. She then created two more and then proceeded to slice him over and over again. While I may be an immortal and reasonably powerful I definitely didn't want to get on the bad side of my goddess girlfriend. I noticed that no one could move in the crowd. That was odd. I was not using my time power so it had to be magic. I reached out with my senses and found the magic that was restraining them. With a smirk I broke it.

 **Third Person POV:**

All the campers who had just been unfrozen were shocked at what they saw. Ryan was currently pinned to the wall and Artemis was currently opening up numerous cuts everywhere on his body. Percy was just stood watching. Artemis then punched Ryan in the head and knocked him unconscious. "I think that you get the privilege of ending his life Perseus, after all he has done to you". Percy smirked and drew his katana again. "With pleasure". He walked forward but then there was a flash of light and the Olympian gods appeared. "What is going on?" Zeus asked. "We felt a disturbance here at camp but couldn't flash in until now". Percy smiled. "Ryan tried to kill me and Artemis and as such I am delivering his punishment". Zeus turned to Apollo. "Is this true?". Apollo nodded. "Yea. Even if it was I don't think anyone could stop Percy now". Zeus sighed. "Okay then but we really need to have a talk about your children Apollo". He winced slightly then chuckled. "Sure". Percy was now standing in front of Ryan. "Any last words?".

Ryan then suddenly burst into flames and emitted a low chuckle that did not sound like him. "You really think you could defeat me that easily? Think again". The hunting knives in his wrists then were consumed by flames and he lunged forward aiming at Percy who just barely avoided him. The figure then turned his attention to Artemis. "I think it's time for some well deserved revenge". He lunged towards Artemis only to be hit by a blast of ice. "Not a chance. If anyone is taking revenge it's me". Percy was standing with his hand outstretched. The figure growled. "You really think you can defeat me? I am a demon created by Tartarus himself. My name is Incendios, the demon of fire and you have no way of beating me as only the power of a demon or Tartarus could truly destroy me!". Percy smirked and his eyes turned to an ice blue. "Well it's a good thing I have my friend here then". Incendios looked shocked. "How? He was supposed to be destroyed!". The campers and hunters looked confused. Who was this figure and what was he talking about? Only the gods knew what he was talking about and knew this was not going to be an easy fight for Percy, especially if the demon was going to continue trying to play unfairly.

Percy then dashed forward and aimed a slash from one of his ice swords at Incendios, aiming to take off his head. The flames just blazed and melted the ice. Incendios laughed. "Even if you have his help, our powers are perfect counters and if this is all the power you have access too then it is clear who will win". Percy just smirked again. "Oh, you want me to step it up a notch then?". Then he was suddenly behind Incendios and threw a punch. "Winter's fist". A blast of ice and magic crashed into Incendios sending him stumbling forward. Incendios looked slightly worse than before and the flames seemed diminished. "You bastard. Hiding your power like that". Percy didn't react and instead charged again. The first warning Percy got was the laugh that came from Incendios then his flames exploded backwards and engulfed Percy.

Incendios laughed again. "That was easy. I thought that with his help he might have been a challenge". He turned to Artemis. "Your turn". He held up his blazing hands again but he suddenly cried out in pain and stumbled forwards. Percy was standing behind him with an ice sword in his hand. His eyes were no longer glowing blue and instead they looked tired. Incendios turned around and growled. "Bastard. Looks like you don't have any energy left though and you only have a useless ice sword". Percy managed a weak grin. "I wouldn't call it useless as I am the bone of my sword. I am what makes the sword strong and I just injured you so it's' not useless". A change then seemed to happen. Percy seemed to glow slightly white and then his sword glowed and he seemed renewed of energy.

 **Percy POV:**

After I said those words I felt more energised than before and more powerful. I shrugged this off as resting for a minute then used my powers of time to speed myself up so I could get behind Incendios and swing at him but he seemed resistant to my time powers so I couldn't just immobilise him and end it. He rolled forwards and avoided the strike but I pressed forwards trying to keep the advantage. I managed to cut him a few times but they were all shallow and did not have much of an effect. Then I was caught by surprise when he suddenly threw a punch which I instinctively blocked with my sword but Incendios grinned and the flames grew brighter and the sword shattered. I stumbled backwards and was forced to dodge as he threw punches and blasts of fire. He laughed. "What now 'guardian'? You may be the 'bone of your sword' but now you don't have a sword".

I gritted my teeth. Invel had stopped lending me power as he had used up most of it from extinguishing the flames two times. I needed a sword. One sword. One sword that would let me win. Just one more sword. I felt a strange energy flow through me, mix with Invel's remaining power and build up in my hand. This was it. I would create one more sword. One sword that I could use to win.

Crackling beams of energy surrounded me and converged in my hand. Incendios looked frightened. "What is this? How do you still have energy left?". I smirked. "Who knows but I do know that I will beat you. You will not hurt anyone else". I clenched my hand around the energy and it suddenly all vanished. All the streams and the glow in my hand. It was replaced by the hilt of a sword. Incendios laughed. "This is what you are going to use to beat me? Pathetic" He raised his hands and fire shot towards me. No. I would not fail. I couldn't fail. I raised the hilt and suddenly ice shot out of it and formed a rough blade shape then shattered, leaving a narrow double-edged sword made of ice. As the flames touched the sword they suddenly froze then shattered.

Incendios started to back away. "How? How do you possess that sword?". I shrugged. "I don't know but I do know you are going down". I raised the sword and held it pointed towards him then dashed towards him. He sent a massive wave of flames towards me but just as before they froze and shattered. I was then right in front of him and drove my sword forward straight through his heart.

The flames surrounding him all froze and then shattered revealing Ryan, still impaled on the sword. "Damn you bastard. Even with that demon's help I couldn't beat you and now I get to die by your hand. Pathetic". I remained serious. "You tried to kill me and Lady Artemis. You got what you deserved". He managed a weak chuckle and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. "Maybe. I was so focused on trying to gain attention I guess I became consumed by my hatred and jealousy. For what it's worth I am sorry for what I did. I guess that was my fatal flaw, ambition". After this the life faded from his eyes and his body went limp. I pulled out the sword and he crumpled. "Percy? Are you ok?". This was Artemis. I smiled and turned round but before I could answer a sudden wave of fatigue hit me and everything went black.

 **Artemis POV:**

Watching the two demon's fight was equally enthralling and terrifying. It was amazing how they handled their magic and elemental powers but it was also terrifying to think that if there were more of these demon's only Percy could face them. All of the gods were shocked when Percy seemed to create a sword out of a sudden energy that surrounded him. We could summon weapons and other objects from places or create small items or weapons if they were related to our domains but to actually create a sword that seemed to delete fire would not have been possible even for Ares.

When Percy managed to kill Ryan I noticed that the energy seemed to drain out of him. Percy stepped back and the body that had once been Ryan crumpled to the floor. "Percy? Are you alright?" I asked. He turned round with a smile on his face but before he could say anything he suddenly swayed then fell forwards. Without thinking I ran forward and caught him, grunting at how heavy he was especially with that damn celestial bronze arm. The sword fell to the floor and as it did it broke into a blue energy before fading. That was odd. Hecate might know more about that but for now I needed to get Percy into Apollo's temple. "Apollo, if you wouldn't mind". He nodded and we all flashed away to his temple.

"Put him over here". He gestured to an empty bed and I managed to maneuver Percy onto the bed. Apollo's hands glowed briefly before fading. "Percy is completely fine just out of energy and will need at least a day of rest before he is back to normal". I nodded, relieved that the idiot had not done anything serious this time. Apollo looked sad. "What's the matter?". While he may be annoying at times he was still my brother so I should care about him. "I guess that I feel guilty for what happened to Percy. Not just this but almost everything from New Rome onwards" I guessed he was talking about Octavian. "Apollo, you cannot control what your children or legacies do. You were unlucky to have two of them that were obsessed with power. Percy would say the same, don't blame yourself" he nodded. "True but if Ryan hadn't have interfered Percy would still be at camp half-blood with Annabeth and none of this would have happened" I smiled. "Then there is one good thing that happened because I am much happier now than ever before and Percy has managed to change my views on males and now I know that not all males are bad but there are still people like that out there".

Apollo smiled. "Thanks, it's been too long since we actually had a conversation like this". I was about to ask what he meant and then I realised. After we came to Olympus I had spent all the time with my hunters and avoiding males, including my own brother. I smiled sadly. "Yea, it has." I looked over at Percy. "It is strange how it took one demigod to make me realise how unfair I have been not only to males in general but also to my own family" I then surprised myself and Apollo by going over and hugging him.

A question formed in my mind as I released him. "What happened with the Python after the giant war?". Apollo blinked. "What?". I sighed. "We couldn't do anything to kill the python during the war between both camps and the giants because of our split aspects but what actually happened to it afterwards as I don't remember a meeting or anything about it" Apollo thought for a second then answered. "I think that some demigods were sent on a quest to defeat it about a year ago because we genuinely forgot about it". I sighed. "I forgot how useless some of us can be sometimes". I heard a light chuckle from behind me. "I hope you don't mean me". I whirled around to see Percy sitting up in the bed with a grin on his face.

 **Percy POV:**

After I fell unconscious I was expecting to wake up in Apollo's temple but I was surprised when I was suddenly standing in some sort of desert. I looked up and saw the sky had no clouds but there were giant gears floating about. "What the fuck is this place?" I questioned out loud. I heard a laugh from behind me. "This place is your reward for a lifetime of service. The accumulation of your powers and your ultimate technique". I turned around to see someone I didn't recognise. He had white spiky hair, brown eyes and tanned skin. He wore black body armour with a silver inlay and had red sleeves over his arms. The look in his eyes was one of a warrior who had seen many things. They were cold and held little trace of emotion.

"Who are you?". The figure smiled. "I am just a spirit who is here to help you use your knew knowledge and power". I was slightly confused but nodded. "Okay then but why suddenly appear now?". He continued smiling. "Because you managed to unlock the basics of your new power". As he said this the gears in the sky began to turn slowly and the ground rumbled. "What is going on?". The 'spirit' just turned and walked away. "This is the extent of your power". He then vanished and swords started to emerge from the ground hilt first. As far as I could see there were swords erupting from the ground and each was unique from all the others. There were swords of Celestial bronze and Imperial gold and others that seemed to be of neither but seemed to radiate magic.

The landscape started to fade and I gathered I was waking up but as it was fading I heard a voice speaking. I listened to the words it was saying and I felt something respond. Those were the words that I would use to access this power. The words to use my 'ultimate technique'. As the words finished, the world went dark.

When I woke up I was in Apollo's temple and Artemis seemed to be in a conversation with him. "...how useless some of us can be sometimes". I sat up in the bed and chuckled. "I hope you don't mean me". Artemis whirled around and saw me sitting up and smiled. "You really like seeking out trouble don't you?". I smiled. "No, trouble just seems to follow me around". Artemis smirked. "I don't know, you got into a relationship with me and that is just asking for trouble". I laughed. "You have a valid point there". Artemis walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling anyway?". I shrugged. "Tired mostly but I managed to offset most of the flames so I don't really have any injuries". Artemis let a wicked smile creep onto her face. "Good because after you rest you are going to have lots of explaining to do to the hunt, Thalia and possibly Camp depending on if the other god's decided to erase or change their memory's". I paled. "Thalia is going to try and kill me".

Artemis laughed. "This is true so I suggest learning to fly somehow or practising suspending a group of angry hunters in time" I sighed, resigning myself to my fate. I yawned and realised just how much energy I had used. Artemis grinned. "Save your energy because when you manage to survive Thalia's wrath you are going to have another archery lesson". I groaned. "Great, as if I did not have enough suffering to deal with". Artemis laughed. "Too bad but I will not have someone in the hunt who cannot use a bow, especially with you having your own bow, as it reflects poorly on my ability as a goddess of archery". I just smiled. "I don't have a choice in this do I?". Artemis continued to grin and shook her head. "Nope, now get to sleep so I don't have to deal with sunshine tomorrow too". "Hey!" Apollo cried indignantly. I laughed and then closed my eyes and fell into a deep and restful sleep.

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 **A/N: Sorry for the chapter being shorter than the last two but I did not have a plan for the second half of the chapter so I decided to cut it short slightly. I hope you enjoyed the chapter even if it was partially filler and I want your opinions on whether the camp should be allowed to remember that fight and Percy's identity or not. Also the strange world that Percy ended up in is not of my creation and I am just borrowing the idea from a different series and as such I own no rights to that series. Until next time - Nightshade Guardian**


	19. Chapter 19: Past Revelations

**A/N: Hello again I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter even if it was partially filler and I hope that you enjoy this chapter too. I have nothing else to say so here is chapter 19 - Past revelations - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Third Person POV:**

The camp was in a state of some confusion. They had just watched as Ryan had been killed because he challenged the mysterious figure that the camp only knew as the guardian of the hunt who had proved to be as good a swordsman as a guitarist and singer if not better. This is what they remembered anyway. The gods had decided that only Percy could decide when to reveal his identity to camp so they changed the memories of the fight slightly in the campers so they only remembered that Ryan had stabbed the guardian after the fight was over, aiming to kill him, and the guardian had proceeded to pull the sword out, heal himself, and then beat the shit out of Ryan before killing him when he tried to attack him again. Any memories of the identity of the guardian and the two demons were erased.

The only people that could remember the true events of the fight were the hunters because they already knew about most of the information pertaining to Percy and the people that Percy had told the events of the last five years too as they had talked to the gods quietly about their previous knowledge of events so that they did not have to be retold the events. After the gods left, all the campers started to go back to their normal routine while still talking about the events that had unfolded in the arena while the hunters headed back to the cabin and Thalia started to sharpen her spear waiting for Percy to get back from Apollo.

The rest of the day passed in a normal fashion apart from when Artemis flashed back into the cabin. She was instantly swarmed by a group of the hunters including Thalia, Zoё, Amy and Lisa who were demanding to know how Percy was. Artemis waited until they all calmed down before speaking. "Percy is fine, he just needs some rest then he will be back". They looked relieved and Thalia grinned. "Good. Then I can get my answers". Artemis sighed. "While I won't stop you I would advise you not to go overboard". Thalia grinned. "It's ok. I won't kill him". Artemis sighed. "Fine but since it has been an eventful day I suggest you all get some rest".

 **Artemis POV:**

After everyone had left to go to bed I turned to Zoё and summoned a bow that I had got Hecate to enchant so it was suitable for use by someone with her strength. "Here is your new bow. I would advise you to practice with it tomorrow". She nodded. "Thank you milady but what may I ask what is the relationship between you and Percy?". I almost fell over at this but stopped before I did. "What are you talking about Zoё? There is no sort of relationship between me and Percy". Zoё smirked. "Of course there isn't. That's why you tried to stealthily hug him at the campfire and let him stay with the hunt and were so concerned at his health". I blushed and scowled. "Dammit Zoё". She laughed. "I was right! So what changed your opinions on males?". I sighed. "Percy did. He was so different from all the other males and even with all the hunters put him through he remained respectful and constantly put himself in danger to protect the hunt and me". Zoё smiled. "I am glad that you have found someone who makes you happy milady though if the others hear this you might have to change the hunter's oath".

I thought about this. "If the other Olympians hear of this there might not be any hunters to change the oath for". Zoё just smiled. "Well you just have to remember the exact terms that you made Zeus swear". I frowned at this. It had been so long that I couldn't even remember what I had made Zeus swear to me. Zoё stretched and yawned. "I think I am going to go to sleep now milady, goodnight". I sighed. "Goodnight Zoё". She then went and joined the other hunters to go to sleep and left me thinking about what I had asked for all those years ago.

 **Percy POV:**

I woke up and felt much more rested and not tired at all. I sat up and stretched. _Time to get dressed and go back to camp_. I sighed and then swung myself out of bed and was about to go and find my clothes when I realised I had never changed out of them but I no longer had my weapons apart from Riptide. _That would have been embarrassing, I wonder where my weapons are?._ I noticed that there was still a hole where Ryan had stabbed me so I reversed the time of the vest so it no longer had a hole in then summoned a new coat. _The perks of being an immortal._ I then noticed it was the old black one then smiled. _Looks like I need to update this one_. The coat then changed to the one I had been wearing after the ceremony. Silver with black edging and on the back the moon was reflected in the ocean below. _Looks like my clothing knew about my love life_. I smiled then slipped it on.

I was about to go and find Apollo to get the all clear to leave when he walked through the door. "You are awake then?". I nodded. "Yea, I just woke up a minute ago". He smiled. "Good then I would like you to tell me about your relationship with my sister". I tensed before trying to appear relaxed. "What are you talking about Apollo? I am the guardian of the hunt and nothing more". Apollo smirked. "Artemis would be so disappointed to hear that. After all, you did tell her you loved her". I started to sweat. "What are you-" Apollo cut me off. "I can see everything that happens in my temple or did you forget?". Shit. I had forgotten that. "Please don't kill me! I promise I have no intention of making Artemis break her oath!". Apollo just laughed. "Relax Percy, I never thought you did, I just want to know why you want to be in a relationship with Artemis, most men would run for the hills as soon as they saw her but not you. You stayed and even managed to become her boyfriend and I want to know why you stayed".

I thought about this. Why did I stay? It wasn't because I felt a duty. If it had been I would have left a long time ago. It wasn't because of Thalia, she was not always composed and usually took her anger out on me. Why did I stay with the hunt and Artemis. I kept thinking about it and eventually I found the reason. "I guess it is because Artemis just treated me like any other person. Most people would probably have treated me as either some sort of hero or someone with a broken heart but Artemis treated me as if I was just some no name. It allowed me to find who I was after everything that happened. Then she started to treat me with respect after I helped out the hunt a few times and I was glad. I was not gaining respect for who I was or who my godly parent was but my own actions".

Apollo smiled. "But you gained respect in the two wars, you were a hero so why did Artemis treating you with respect cause you to fall in love with her?". I shook my head. "I was no hero. I led so many people to their deaths in the titan war and almost caused the deaths of others during the conflict of Camp half-blood and Camp Jupiter, I wouldn't call myself a hero because of that". Apollo grinned. "You would say that wouldn't you? You are too modest and are only looking at the bad bits. You held the sky so that Artemis could fight Atlas because you couldn't and you prevented the deaths of so many others by beating the Titans and the Giants". I sighed. "I guess, but I was still glad that I had to earn my respect and that even the man hating goddess was willing to put aside at least some of her prejudice to allow me to help her and the hunt and eventually we grew to like the others company and I guess that grew into love". Apollo had a wide smile on his face.

"I am glad that you like Artemis for the right reasons Percy and don't worry, I will not tell anyone about you and Artemis. You might want to go to camp now, Artemis might be annoyed that you are a few hours late". I frowned in confusion until I used my time powers to check the time. Nearly mid day. "Shit, Artemis is going to kill me before Thalia even gets the chance". Apollo laughed. "Well good luck and try not to end up back here just yet". He then walked off, presumably to check on the remaining campers that were still recovering.

Since there was no mist here on Olympus I used the black portal I had used before to open a doorway to camp. When I stepped out I was in front of the Artemis cabin and Artemis was standing there with an irritated look on her face and her arms crossed. "You are late Perseus, you should have been here two hours ago". I held up my hands in surrender. "Sorry, Apollo held me up as he wanted to talk". Her look did not change. "Well what took you two hours to talk about?". I could feel I was treading on thin ice now. "He wanted to make sure that I was not suffering any lingering symptoms from the fight and made me stay for some last tests and was asking me questions on my health while he was doing them". I was internally pleased at the little lie I had told as I did not want her to find out what I had said to Apollo, especially if she did not know he knew. She sighed. "Fine. You are back now which is the point or more specifically, the point Thalia has been eagerly awaiting". There was a smirk on her face as she stepped out of the way as Thalia walked out of the cabin.

When Thalia saw me she grinned and grabbed her spear from her pocket and expanded it. "You are going to tell me everything now kelp head and there is no chance of you getting out of it". I looked to Artemis who shook her head slightly. The message was clear. Do not go overboard. "Where do you want me to start?". I remained calm even with the spear pointed at me and Thalia grinned wickedly. "Oh I intend to make sure you start from the beginning". She then darted forward and aimed a strike towards my heart. I just backed up to avoid it. Thalia kept pressing the attack and was obviously trying to injure me as much as possible while venting her anger. She suddenly lunged forward and managed to catch me in the stomach then sent a lightning bolt straight through me. I resisted screaming at the pain. While I get she was angry did she have to be such a bitch?

Thalia wrenched the spear out of my stomach and earned a yell of pain from me as a result. She smirked. "Not so tough now are you kelp head? Well there is more where that came from". Another lightning bolt struck me and it just caused me to get more and more irritated. I said I was going to tell her anyway so there was no need for this except for her penchant for enjoying causing pain to others. I get she was angry but why did she take it out on me. Her spear flashed forward and I dived but too late as it opened up a cut on my back and then she drew it back which did the same on the other side. Artemis walked forward. "Enough Thalia. You have inflicted enough pain for today". Surprisingly Thalia snarled. "Not a chance, I am not finished yet". I snapped. I would not be her punching bag anymore. I smirked as I remembered what Thanatos had told me and silently thanked Thalia for the cuts along my back, gritted my teeth and called upon my wings just as Thalia drove the spear forward.

 **Thalia POV:**

I admit I was not being entirely fair with Percy. He had said he would tell me the story and yet I attacked him anyway. I used him to vent the stress of the events of the past few years but I realised that I had gone overboard with what I did and that this would not end entirely well. The first warning I got was when Percy tensed up as I was going to impale him. Suddenly two black shapes sprouted from his back and blocked my spear. "What the fuck?" I said as I stumbled backwards. Wings. Percy now had wings.

"How the fuck did you get wings?". Percy did not answer and just stood there with his wings outstretched. Suddenly he dashed forwards, his wings adding extra momentum, and I tried to summon Aegis but just as it started to appear it disappeared again. I stabbed forward in a desperate attempt to stop him but he simply grabbed the spear and twisted. I had no time to let go so I felt my wrist break and screamed. I watched as he just held the spear in two hands and brought it down over his knee, snapping it causing a shock wave to push me backwards slightly. He tossed the two halves aside then grabbed me and started to fly upwards.

I shut my eyes and clung on with my good hand too Percy to make sure I didn't fall. I felt Percy slow down and then stop, only his wings were still moving. "Thalia, look at me". I shook my head, who knew how high we were? "Thalia. Look At Me". He put more force into these words and I slowly opened my eyes and focused on him. Refusing to look down. "I want you to stop being a bitch and just listen to me while I explain". I nodded. Fearing that I might fall at any moment especially since he was not calm. "I will start from the beginning, from what happened at camp". He then went on to explain what happened at camp and why he left for four years. I instantly felt guilty for what I had done. He had suffered so much in that short time and here I was taking out my anger on him.

Percy then went on to talk about what happened to his family. "I needed to talk to them about her and what happened but when I got there… I was too late". My eyes widened as he described the scene he saw. "I snapped. I killed that damn Emposai brutally and then I just lost all hope. I was going to kill myself. I couldn't take it". I hugged him with my good arm. "I'm so sorry Percy, I didn't know". He smiled sadly. "Don't be sorry yet, I have more to tell you and it caused me to gain a new family".

I was about to ask him what he meant when he continued to speak. "Now I am going to tell you about what I showed the gods in the throne room". I remembered the look in his eyes back then and shuddered. How horrible was this?. "This time I can't go into the details, not again. I will just say that I was captured and spent time in Tartarus. Again". My eyes widened to the point I thought they would pop out my skull. "You went into Tartarus again?". He nodded. "Only you, the council, Chiron and some of my old friends know so I would appreciate it if you didn't tell the hunters". I just hugged him tighter. "I'm so sorry kelp head, I shouldn't have taken out my anger out on you". He just held me back. "I get that you were frustrated and you needed to vent but you didn't need to try to kill me".

"Oh, in answer to your question about the wings, after I was turned into an immortal I received a few new gifts, like those two new swords and these wings". I looked at him in shock. "Who gave you the wings then?". He shrugged. "Thanatos".

I started in shock and bumped my broken wrist. "Fuck!". I yelled He gently took my wrist and allowed his healing power to flow through it and do its work. He then adjusted the way he was holding me so I wasn't trapped against him. "How on earth did you get Thanatos to give you the wings?" I asked in wonder and he smirked. "Probably because I helped rescue him in Alaska". I was becoming more and more shocked by my cousin by the minute. "You never told me that". He shrugged again. "I was busy being thrust into another great prophecy and then being betrayed and being captured". I laughed. "You do have a point. Soon though we are going to have to talk about what you did during the Giant war" He nodded then smirked.

"Now your wrist is healed I wanted to ask, how well can you control the winds?". I paled, guessing where he going with this. "Nowhere near ready for what you are thinking". He smirked. "You might surprise yourself. I just want you to see if you can get the winds to support you. No moving about yet just getting the winds to stop you from falling. I am not going to let you go, I promise".

I took a deep breath and focused on the winds. They were rushing about everywhere so I first focused on calming them. I was willing them to slow down and become calm. Surprisingly I was finding this much easier than I had before and they became calm quickly. I then focused on making them support me. They immediately rushed below me and I felt them responding to my will and supporting my body. Tentatively, I looked down and saw the ground so far down but instead of the normal feeling of fear all I felt was awe at how beautiful it looked. I grinned but suddenly realised that Percy was not holding me. I was supporting myself completely independently. "Told you that you might surprise yourself" he said with a smirk. "Now let's go down as I think that Artemis might get slightly worried if we stay up here too much longer". As if on cue, a silver arrow flew upwards and erupted in a small shower of sparks.

 **Artemis POV:**

I saw no sign of a screaming Thalia falling down or any flashes of lightning so I assumed that Percy was talking to Thalia about the past four years before he came to us. Even so I sent up an arrow that would explode into silver sparks after a while to remind them to come down. I had to admit I was not expecting Percy to have wings but it was smart to talk to Thalia in the air, her fear of heights would stop her from doing anything rash. " _I will say, that boy is always full of surprises"._

I almost jumped at the voice in my head. _Diana?_ I spoke in my head. I had not heard much of my aspect since the giant war. " _Who else?"_ she replied and I almost sighed. _What do you want?_ I asked knowing that she probably had something to say about Percy. " _To talk to you. We don't exactly talk much"_. _I assume this is about Percy then?_. " _Yes, I wanted to talk to him later because while we are technically the same goddess I am slightly different so I wanted to see if he notices"._ I frowned. _You are not annoyed that I made us fall in love with him?._ I swore I could hear her laugh. " _No, I am almost glad to be honest, it is not as if he has any intentions of making us break our oath anyway"._ I frowned again. " _Why are you glad?"_ before she could answer I felt the winds around me change slightly. I looked up and was surprised to see Thalia floating down and Percy was right beside her with his wings.

When they touched the ground Thalia almost collapsed but Percy caught her. "Easy there. It was probably very draining controlling the winds. Here". He summoned a square of ambrosia and handed it to her. Thalia ate it slowly to regain her strength and sat down against a tree. "What happened up there?" I asked, putting Diana aside for the moment. "I told her everything she didn't know about why I had disappeared and what I did. Then I asked her to try and use the winds to support her without trying to move and she seemed to do it quite quickly". I smiled. "Looks like we just gained another advantage against the camps". Percy smirked. "Does that mean we get to have the customary Capture the flag game against two camps?". I nodded and then a loud rumble of thunder went across the sky followed by a flash of lightning.

"Looks like Zeus has summoned a meeting". Percy nodded. Before I could say anything Hermes appeared. "Artemis, Percy. Zeus would like both of you to come to the meeting". That surprised both me and Percy. "Why am I supposed to be there?" Hermes shrugged. "I don't know, Zeus just requested that you both come" he then flashed away. I turned to Percy. "Let's go then. Have you learned to flash yet?". He shook his head but grinned. "I have another idea" he flapped his wings slightly and I gathered what it would be. "Just be careful you don't get zapped, I can't have you dying just yet".

"Why can't you have him dying just yet milady?". I jumped as I had forgotten that Thalia was still here. I turned to her and scowled. "He still has to fulfil his role in the prophecy". Thalia smirked. "Are you sure it's not because you like him?" I was about to retort when Percy placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked over at him and he nodded. I sighed. "Fine. Thalia, what I am about to tell you stays between us and you will not tell anyone. Not even the hunters. Swear it on the Styx". Thalia gulped then nodded. "I, Thalia Grace, swear not to tell anyone the information Lady Artemis will tell me unless she or Percy Jackson allows it". Thunder boomed in the distance and signalled the oath as being binding.

"Me and Percy are dating" I stated and expected Thalia to blow up but she just smiled. "Finally". I was surprised. "You knew?". She shook her head. "No but I had gathered that you had feelings for Percy a while ago and wondered when you would act on it". I just shook my head. "I underestimate you girls sometimes". Thalia grinned. "Very rarely milady". I smiled. "Well I hope you remember your oath now". Thalia nodded. "Just out of interest who else knows?". I thought for a second. "Us, Zoё and Apollo". I heard Percy mutter under his breath. "So that's why he asked me those questions earlier". I decided to leave that for now. "Thalia, tell the other hunters that we have been summoned to Olympus and will be back when we can". Thalia nodded. "Ok, see you later milady but first Percy, fix my spear!" He nodded, picked up the spear and it glowed golden for a few seconds and it returned to normal. "There you go, the magic should be working just fine". The spear collapsed back into the mace canister and Thalia smiled before she walked off back into the cabin as I flashed to Olympus and Percy flapped his wings and began to fly towards the Empire state building.

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 **A/N: There was the chapter, sorry if the way Percy shared his past with Thalia was not how you expected it but that is just the way that it felt best to write. I want your guys opinion on the aspect thing. If you want to have Diana as a completely different person or a slightly different version of Artemis who shares her thoughts and some of her feelings. Your ideas and opinions are always appreciated. I will hopefully see you guys soon as exams are almost over so that means more free time for writing but until then, please review and keep waiting for the updates - Nightshade Guardian**


	20. Chapter 20: A Few Promotions

**A/N: Hello again and I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter and in this one I will be advancing the plot of the upcoming war and the preparations the Demigods will be taking. Thank you to anyone who reviewed or suggested ideas for the story, I promise I will consider them. I will let you get on with chapter 20 - A few promotions**

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 **Artemis POV:**

When I flashed in the rest of the gods looked confused. "Where is Percy?" asked Zeus. Obviously confused as Hermes had probably told him where he had found us. I shrugged. "I don't know. He went off to get something and said not to wait". Zeus sighed. "Fine but we need him here to start this meeting". Before anyone could say anything else a dark fog started to cover Olympus. "What in my name is going on?". Shouted Zeus. A low chuckle sounded and a black figure flew upwards from the side of Olympus then dived and landed with a small shock-wave.

I had to resist smiling. This was what Percy had meant by having another idea. It seemed to be terrifying Zeus who was gripping onto his master bolt with a look of fear in his eyes. "Who are you?". The same chuckle came from him. "Who do you think I am?". Apollo suddenly fired an arrow at him with blinding speed but he simply flapped his wings and the arrow thudded into the floor. "A good attempt but it would take more than that". I saw Hera starting to smile. So she had realised who it was too. Zeus looked like he was about to zap him with the master bolt so I quickly fired some arrows towards him in an effort to get his attention. He blocked them all with his wings and turned to me.

"So the mighty goddess of the hunt would want to take me on then?". A katana appeared in his hand but what surprised me was that I did not recognise it and it seemed to be made of imperial gold. I smirked none the less and jumped off my throne, shrinking down to normal size as I did. "Very well then. I think I can easily take on a male like you". I was fighting to keep from laughing now as I summoned hunting daggers and dashed forward. To the other gods it might have looked like a fast and serious fight but neither of us was taking it seriously. Percy was just blocking and occasionally aiming a slow swipe he knew I could dodge whereas I was making it look like I moving everywhere while only doing some slow jabs. I smirked. "Time to get serious" I whispered and I could almost hear the grin.

I quickly flashed behind him and feinted with my dagger and when he went to block with the sword I kicked the back of his knee. He was letting me win but this was too much fun to stop. I went to hold the knife to his neck before the sword suddenly shined brightly and disorientated me. I heard the air whistle as the blade came towards me and ducked before aiming a kick at where I anticipated him to be. I was rewarded with a grunt as I kicked him in the stomach. I blinked rapidly and could see him waiting. I dashed, swept his legs from under him, pinned his arm and held the knife to his throat. "I win again. You need to stop losing".

Most of the council looked confused except Hera who was smiling. Percy laughed and all the black fog disappeared and his wings vanished. "True, but at least we put on a good show". I smiled and stepped back, offering him a hand to pull him up which he accepted gladly. "What is going on?". Zeus sounded genuinely confused. "Who are you?". Percy let go of my hand then turned to Zeus. "I'm shocked. You forgot me already and you are the one that summoned me here". Zeus blinked for a second then laughed. "You always do surprise us Percy". The council looked shocked and some sent withering glances at Percy who flocked his hood down and had a grin on his face.

"Sorry for that but it was just too good an opportunity to pass up". He turned to me. "Thanks for the spar". I smirked. "You're welcome but where did you get that sword?". He grinned. "You remember the light from his armour?". I gathered that him meant Ryan. "Yea?". "One of my domains is light so I used that to help create a new weapon". I just shook my head. "How did you get - Hyperion?". He just nodded. "Anyway, why did you summon me to this meeting?". I walked back over to my throne and grew to my godly height then sat down. Zeus shook his head and spoke. "Apart from the apparent amusement we wanted to talk about the war that will start soon". He nodded. "I would estimate about six months possibly a year, it depends on how strong he wants to make his army". Zeus nodded in agreement. "Which is why we need to train the campers. While Chiron is good and they have mostly trained for years we still think they could improve". I saw the sense in this. They would need to be better than ever before to win this war. "This is why we want to give you a… promotion of sorts".

I raised my eyebrow at this. What could they even promote him to now? He was a god and the guardian of the hunt. " _Don't forget our boyfriend"._ Diana chimed in. She seemed eager to accept this new relationship which I did not expect. "What would this promotion be then?" Percy asked, seemingly as curious as me. Hera smiled and spoke up. "You would be the commander of the Olympian army which will be all the demigods and anyone else that will help us against Tartarus". My eyes widened in shock. They were basically handing over control of everything to Percy. He seemed at a loss for words for once and was as shocked as I was, possibly more so. After a minute he bowed. "I accept this promotion". Zeus smiled and clapped his hands. A bright light engulfed Percy.

When the light faded Percy stood there covered in a new armour. It was Celestial bronze but coloured like his coat. The moon was still prominently shining on his back but this time there was no sea below it. The helmet looked like a traditional Greek style but had some sort of black glass covering the eye holes and the slit in the middle. The breastplate was just a normal breast plate with no sculpted in muscles or anything but somehow suited him better. The armour differed substantially at the arms and legs. Instead of greaves he had full metal boots that seemed to be made of actual silver that came up to just below his knees. Above that was just a plain black cloth that seemed loose and must have been for the purpose of stopping the armour from moving about too much. The arms were covered up to just below the elbow with finger-less gauntlets that was similar to a Roman gauntlet in that it had silver covering the back of the hand and forearm and the rest was a blackened leather.

Most of the gods looked at the new armour with impressed looks. Percy seemed to look over his armour and I noticed a few things. The arms were also covered in the black fabric, there seemed to be throwing knives on his legs and odd knives strapped to the inside of his forearms. They were odd in that they seemed to be a miniature version of a double edged sword though I couldn't be sure until he used them. I noticed that Aphrodite was drooling. " _That bitch! She knows Percy is in a relationship and yet still looks as if she is trying to rape him with her eyes."_ I almost chuckled at Diana's outburst. _That's because she is the goddess of sluts and can't handle rejection._ I sent that thought to Diana and returned focus to the meeting. The helmet shimmered then melted back into the armour revealing Percy with a wide grin on his face.

"I take it you like the armour then?". Zeus asked. Percy nodded. "It's perfect". I smiled as Zeus continued. "How do you like the design?". Percy looked confused. "Which design?". Zeus smiled. "The wolf". I was confused until Poseidon created a mirror out of water and I could see a new design on the front which I hadn't been able to see before but I immediately loved it. It depicted a wolf sitting on a cliff above the calm sea with a forest all around it and it was howling at the moon. Percy's smile widened. "I repeat what I said earlier. It's perfect". He sent a quick glance at me and I smiled knowing that he was happy.

"What is your opinion Artemis?". This was Apollo who had a grin on his face. I sent him a glare. "The armour is fine". I had to be careful not to let anyone get curious. "So you don't mind a male bearing some of your symbols then?". Apollo was pushing it and I was sorely tempted to just shoot him. "They are the symbols of the hunt as well as me and Perseus is a part of the hunt and has proven that on multiple occasions and as such he is the only male I would ever allow to wear the symbols of me and the hunt". Aphrodite giggled. "Awe, how sweet. The huntress has a thing for the hero of Olympus". I summoned my bow but before I could do anything a massive amount of water flooded over Aphrodite making her squeal. "I would advise not disrespecting milady. It is not a wise decision. Be lucky that I dealt with you before she did".

Some of the gods were barely containing laughter at this even Ares who was meant to be her boyfriend. Aphrodite just smiled and turned on her charm speak. "Look at this Percy, you made me all wet, why don't you come over and finish the job". I was about to shoot her when Percy walked forwards towards the sluts' throne. I was about to yell at him but I saw a smirk in his eyes. I felt Diana grin. " _This is going to be funny"._ I couldn't help but agree. Some of the gods looked surprised but others had noticed the smirk. Just before he reached the throne he stopped. Aphrodite frowned. "Why aren't you going forwards? Finnish the job". She turned on her charm-speak for the last part. Percy raised his hands and fire erupted all over Aphrodite. When they died down I couldn't help but erupt into laughter along with most of the rest of the council. Aphrodite was now completely dry but her clothes were singed and blackened and her hair was now a frizzy mess. Percy smirked. "There you go, job done". He then walked back and stood in front of my throne. Aphrodite looked confused then summoned a mirror. She shrieked and then flashed out.

It took a good five minutes for the laughter to die down. Hera was the first to quiet down and wiped a tear away from her eye. "Thank you for that Percy. She has had something like that coming for a long time". Percy grinned. "I know, she just can't seem to take the hint I am not interested". Hera smirked. "Why are you not interested? She is a goddess of beauty after all and most men would jump at the chance to be with her". Percy scowled. "I am not like most men m- Hera. I thought you knew that?". The last part was teasing but it looked like he had almost slipped up and mentioned the fact she was his adoptive mother. " _That is very true. We would have castrated any other man who even dared to come near our camp let alone get into a relationship with us"_. I smirked. She had a point.

Zeus then spoke. "If no one has anything else to add then the meeting is finished. Percy spoke up. "Actually there is something". Zeus looked surprised then gestured for him to continue. "There is still some distrust in the Roman camp about the Greeks and I doubt that they would be happy about someone being announced as their leader who is not Roman". Zeus frowned. "I know of who you speak and you do have a valid point. The hunters are mainly a Greek group and I have no doubt he would try and get either himself or someone he trusts into power instead". I frowned. Who were they talking about? Percy smirked. "That's why I had an idea". Percy then explained what he thought might work and I had to admit it was a brilliant plan. Zeus smiled. "I think that can be arranged. Anything else?". Percy thought for a minute then nodded. "We are going to need all the help we can get and I am not able to train every single camper so I propose that we recruit some others". Zeus looked surprised. "All of them?" Percy hesitated then nodded. "All of them".

Zeus seemed to think about this for a moment. I had no doubt that Percy was talking about the seven from the last great prophecy but I was surprised that he was willing to forgive them for what they did. " _I sure as Hades can't"_ Diana stated angrily and I had to agree. Percy was one of the only people I respected and he had not deserved the treatment he had received at the hands of my brothers son. Zeus spoke up. "I am surprised at your choice yet I do agree with you, you cannot train nearly eight hundred demigods by yourself but I would also hazard to say that even with them all helping I think we would need some more". I was surprised at this. I had gathered that they were planning on turning them into immortals or even gods but for Zeus to suggest that they needed more was a shock. Percy thought then smiled. "I have another few in mind then. I have no doubt they are worthy of the position".

Zeus looked at him and they almost seemed to have a mental discussion which Zeus seemed to smile at. "I feel those are perfect choices Percy but this is a major decision so I must consult the council first". Percy nodded. "I would not expect anything else". Dionysus snored loudly. He had been reading a wine magazine and had evidently fell asleep. "Would you like me to wake up the drunk?" Percy asked and Zeus shook his head. "No, I doubt he would be much help anyway". I almost giggled at this. What Zeus had said was true. Dionysus was absolutely no help. Bacchus was better but only marginally.

"Everyone who is in favour of 'recruiting' these new heroes raise your hand". I raised my hand as did all the others. "It is unanimous. The new heroes will be announced and recruited when we all arrive at camp". I smiled at the plan that Percy had come up with. "Meeting dismissed. Remember to meet at Camp Half-blood in ten minutes so that the campers have time to gather. Make sure everyone attends". With that the other council members flashed out leaving the drunk, me, Percy, Hestia and Hera.

I shrunk down to normal size and walked up to Percy as his armour faded away revealing him to be in his normal guardian attire. "Ready to go or do you want to make another big entrance?". He smirked. "No, I will let you flash us this time but first I think my mother would like a word with us". I turned to see that Hera was indeed standing there with a smile on her face. "Just how many domains do you have Percy? Certainly more than you let on". Percy smirked. "I could tell you but where would be the fun in that?". The sword appeared in his hand again and he held it up. "All I will say that I gained domains from those who I defeated or made to fade". My eyes widened. He had defeated lots of people and as such must have lots of domains. The sword then morphed before my eyes into a spear. Percy frowned. "That is useful to know that fotiá can do that but this is not the form I wanted it to be in" he muttered before it morphed again into an Imperial gold band etched with fire designs and he slipped it onto his wrist.

Hera smirked. "Fotiá? Really? Is that not a tad on the nose?". He smiled. "It can be taken as light or fire so I think it fits perfectly". I shook my head. "Of course you do". He sent me a quick glare but there was no anger behind it. Hera just smiled. "It is good to see that you have managed to at least partially move past your prejudice Artemis". I shrugged. "Percy is one of the few males I can respect". Hera grinned. "Why is that?". I tried to act normal. "Percy has achieved so many things in his life and yet he does not boast of them like most who had achieved even half of what he has would". Percy smirked. "Nice to know you care". I summoned a hunting knife and started inspecting it. "Did you say something?". He paled and shook his head. Hera just laughed. "I will leave you now but I look forward to the next council meeting as I think we might have some very important things to discuss". She then flashed out and Hestia walked over.

"You never change do you Percy?". He smiled. "No, I don't but what are you talking about specifically?". Hestia smiled. "You gave up some power just to get your friends rewards". I was confused. "What did he give up this time?". Hestia smiled at me. "Zeus was considering making him an Olympian instead of Dionysus". I raised my eyebrows. "How did you reject that?". Percy smiled. "Some people deserve rewards more than I deserve or need to be an Olympian". Hestia shook her head and pulled Percy into a hug which he gladly returned. "I want you to come and visit soon Percy". He nodded. "I will". Hestia's smile turned playful. "You said that to Poseidon and never did". Percy scowled. "I forgot about that". Hestia laughed. "Make sure to keep your word" and then she vanished in a flash of flames.

I turned to Percy who had a smile on his face. I held out my hand still feeling slightly shy about our new relationship. "Ready to go?". He nodded and took my hand so I flashed us to the cabin. As soon as we arrived there was a yell of surprise and Percy was sent skidding backwards and almost crashed against the wall. "Nice to see you too Zoё". She blushed in embarrassment. "You startled me". He just grinned. "Sorry but I do need to tell you that we need to start gathering at the dining pavilion". Zoё looked confused. "Why?" and he just smirked. "The gods have something to tell everyone". She sighed. "Okay then. Should I gather up the rest of the hunters?". I nodded. "Please do and tell them the same thing. You have about eight minutes left". She nodded and walked out the cabin.

I turned to Percy once more. "Are you going to tell me who you nominated for this 'recruitment'?". He smirked. "No, you will just have to wait". " _Can I talk to him now?"_ I had forgotten about that but smirked. _Not yet, I want to see if he will notice the difference later._ I felt Diana smirk. " _That should be fun"_. Percy held out his right hand. "Shall we start walking?" I blushed and shyly took his hand. I was still new to this and I didn't want to mess up. We walked out of the cabin and I felt Percy bend the mist slightly so that it didn't look like we were holding hands but I knew differently as I could feel the cold Celestial bronze under the glove that he had taken to wearing and it still reminded me of his sacrifice and made me slightly sad that he had sacrificed his arm to protect us.

Just before we got to the Pavilion we bumped into someone who was walking out of the Athena cabin. I felt Percy's hand leave mine and the mist disappeared. I looked at the person and realised who it was. Annabeth. She looked up at me and I could tell that she was not in a great way. She had dark rings around her eyes and her eyes did not look as full of energy as they once had been. "Sorry Lady Artemis, I wasn't paying attention" she then saw Percy who had put his hood up quickly before she could realise who it was. "If I may ask, who is the male accompanying you? I thought you despised males?". I shrugged. "He is the only exception to the rule. This person has proven to me he is different than the type of men that I hate. He is assigned as the guardian and has lived up to that title many times". Annabeth nodded. "I suppose that makes sense. If he has earned your respect then he must be much different to other men. Especially the one I was fooled by". She muttered the last part but I got the idea. She felt sorry for what she did and I did not blame her.

"Is there any news on Percy? I mean it has been five years now since we forced him out of camp". I was about to shake my head when Percy spoke up. "Do you mean Perseus Jackson?". The voice was not Percy's and I realised that he was using Invel's voice. Annabeth suddenly glanced at him. "You have heard of him?". He nodded. "I met him while I was exploring. He told me of his past and why he was doing what he was doing". Annabeth's eyes widened. "Where is he?". Percy shrugged. "The last I saw he was in a cave somewhere in the natural world. Know that while he was hurt by the betrayals he is happy now". I watched as Annabeth almost broke down but shook her head and stood taller and her eyes were sharper than before. "At least there is that. Do you know if he will return?". He shrugged. "It is his choice if he does or not so I do not know if Percy Jackson will return to camp". Annabeth nodded. "Okay then. I suppose we better get to the pavilion to see what the announcement is". I nodded and we all headed up.

When we got there all the gods were waiting. When Zeus saw us he started. "Campers. All of you know that there have been more frequent and dangerous monster attacks including the one on this camp but you do not know why". It seemed that the laziness of the gods had severely impeded the oracle. "Today we are here to announce a few things. First of all, there is a new great prophecy". All of the campers were surprised. "What is the prophecy lord Jupiter?". This had been asked by Jason. Zeus glanced at Percy who gave an almost imperceptive nod. "The prophecy is this. The oldest threat shall rise and start the war. Olympus and it's children he wishes to mourn. But a broken guardian will stand tall. To prevent the gods and the worlds fall. The camps and hunt shall stand as one, But in the end the hero is gone. The aforementioned 'broken Guardian' will be leading you all in the war". The camp went dead silent.

Reyna was the first to speak up. "Do we know who the prophecy is about?" Zeus nodded. "The prophecy is about the guardian of the hunt". There were murmurs of confusion before Percy stepped forward. "I am the guardian of the hunt and the subject of this prophecy". The whispers increased before someone from the Roman camp stepped forward. "Why should we trust someone who is part of a Greek group?". So this was the demigod who was causing problems in the Roman camp. I decided to find out who this person was. "Who are you to question my guardian male?". The aforementioned demigod turned to see me and paled but then regained his composure. "I am Steven Mulloy, son of Mars and I question your guardian because he is obviously a Greek and has no idea of how the legion works and as such cannot lead the legion and is not fit to be the centre of a prophecy".

I was about to summon my bow when Percy laughed. "I never said I was Greek". He then pulled his left sleeve back and held up his arm. On it was a legion tattoo with the symbols of both Vesta and Juno and ten lines indicating ten years of service. Steven looked shocked. "You cannot be the son of Vesta and Juno, they are a sworn virgin and loyal to lord Jupiter". Percy laughed. "They are my patrons not my parents". Steven was getting angry and I had to refrain from laughing. "How come you have never been at camp then?". I could hear the smile in Percy's voice. "I instead travel around America to find young demigods and get them to their respective camps or the hunters of Lady Artemis if needed"

Steven did not look happy but he stopped asking questions. Zeus then spoke up "If no one else has anything to say we will continue the announcements. The guardian of the hunt is now proclaimed as leader of the armies of Olympus which include both Camp Half-blood and Camp Jupiter. If anyone tries to question his authority or orders they will either answer to Artemis or myself" The demigods were silent and I smirked. They obviously knew that this was to be taken seriously if anyone who questioned my guardian's authority would answer to Zeus. Zeus continued with the announcements. "Thirdly, would the members of the seven of the last great prophecy step forward" They all looked confused but stepped forward. "You are to be rewarded for your service to Olympus through your lives. We, the council, offer you all minor god-ship and immortality so that you may help Olympus further by training the demigods of the future to prepare them for the upcoming war predicted by the prophecy. Do you all accept?".

Zeus had changed from the leader he had once been. He was kinder now and was now offering these heroes one of the greatest rewards they could offer. Frank stepped forward. "Lord Jupiter, we are all honoured by your offer but I can say that for all of us, it would not be right without Percy here to share in the reward". Frank already knew that Percy was at camp but apparently Percy had not told them everything that had happened.

Zeus shifted aspect and smiled. "Do not worry young Praetor, Percy already has his reward". Franks eyes widened. "How? Did you find him?". Jupiter's eyes flicked towards Percy momentarily who gave another almost imperceptible nod. "We found him but when we offered him the reward and the chance to return he said that he would accept being a god but he wished to be left in peace until he decided to return himself". Frank nodded. "Ok then. I don't think there are any objections then Lord Jupiter".

"Council! Gather round so we may grant these heroes their reward". We all gathered around but Dionysus was missing. "Did no one wake the drunk?". We all shook our heads. Jupiter cursed then turned to Percy. "Would you mind stepping in for Bacchus guardian? I would say you have more than enough power and we will use more power for the chant since you do not know it". This surprised all the gods. Jupiter had just admitted that my guardian had more power than an Olympian and there seemed to be a tone of respect in his voice. Percy nodded. "I would be honoured Lord Jupiter" he then walked forward and stood beside me. "Gather your power in your hand then allow it to mingle with ours and when it does push it forwards so that it is taken up by the heroes" I whispered this to him quietly and he nodded as a thank you.

Jupiter started the chant and all of us bar Percy joined in. The language was older than Greek but none of us knew the name of it. We all held our hands outwards as power flowed from them and mixed into one ball of energy. I noticed the colour of Percy's power had changed slightly. While still being predominantly black and red it had more gold lines running through it and lots of silver strands that seemed much like mine. I smiled at that thought but kept focused. Jupiter suddenly stopped chanting and the energies mixed together into one golden orb and then we pushed it forwards so that it enveloped the heroes and was suddenly absorbed into them and we cut of the streams of power.

"All hail Frank Zhang, minor god of Transformations and Heroes. All hail Hazel Levesque, minor god of Riches and Heroes, All hail Leo Valdez, minor god of Flames, Mechanics and Heroes, All hail Annabeth Chase, minor god of Strategy and Heroes, All hail Jason Grace, minor god of Storms and Heroes, All hail Piper McLean, minor goddess of Beauty, Compassion and Heroes" The whole camp erupted into applause for the new gods and goddesses.

Jupiter smirked and after the applause had died down he spoke again. "Would Reyna, praetor of New Rome please step forward". Reyna did as she was told but looked confused. "For your efforts in repairing the division between the Romans and the Greeks and on recommendation of another we offer you minor god-ship like the others. So this was one of the others that Percy had mentioned to Zeus, I wonder who the rest were? Reyna was speechless for a second then nodded. We repeated the process and again the energy was absorbed into her. "All hail Reyna, minor goddess of Battle, Resilience and Heroes"

The crowd erupted again and there were even louder cheers coming from the Romans. I noticed that a certain hunter of mine had a huge smile on her face and I grinned. I was definitely going to tease her about that later. Jupiter then shifted back into Zeus and called out again. "Would the hunters Zoё Nightshade, Thalia Grace and Bianca di Angelo please step forward". My eyes widened and I turned to face Percy. I could only imagine the smirk he had on his face. _We are totally repaying him for this later._ Diana voiced up and I agreed. After this stunt he deserved some time just relaxing with us. That surprised me. When had I began thinking about this relationship as us?

All three hunters stepped forward and looked nervous. "For your exceptional service over the years to Lady Artemis and for your tenacity of returning to the hunt after what you experienced we offer you minor god-ship like the others". All three nodded but before we could start Poseidon stepped forward. "Before we turn them into goddesses I would like to bestow a gift upon miss Nightshade". Zoё looked confused but I felt Percy smiling from beside me. "You are the daughter of a sea goddess and as such should have been given power over water but as you were a nymph it was denied to you". " _He didn't"_ voiced Diana in disbelief but it was clear. He had. Percy had found a way to not only make Zoё fully immortal but give her all her rightful powers too. He was definitely taking some well deserved rest after this. "The sea will always remember it's own and you may reclaim your birthright". Zoё then glowed a light ocean blue before it faded and Poseidon stepped back and we chanted again.

"All hail Thalia Grace, minor goddess of Lightning, Winds and Heroes, All hail Bianca di Angelo, minor goddess of Rebirth, The Underworld and Heroes, All hail Zoё Nightshade, minor goddess of Sacrifice, Strength, Endurance, Currents and Heroes". The whole crowd erupted again but this time two things were different. The loudest cheers came from not only the hunt but also Reyna I noticed as did Thalia who blushed a deep gold and Jason ran over and embraced his sister, congratulating her on earning her reward.

"Penultimately" Zeus announced. "Will Clarisse La Rue and Chris Rodriguez please step forward". They both looked shocked but stepped forward. "For your help in defeating the titans and your outstanding loyalty to your friend we offer you minor god-ship as we did the others". Clarisse had a determined look in her eye as they both nodded and we did the chant for hopefully the final time as it was tiring making so many people into gods.

"All hail Clarisse La Rue, minor goddess of Weaponry, Loyalty and Heroes, All hail Chris Rodriguez, minor god of Cunning, Loyalty and Heroes". The camp once again exploded into applause which grew into wolf whistles as the two shared a passionate kiss. "Finally I would like to say that there will be a game of capture the flag this evening after dinner. This will be slightly different to the other games as it will be a three way contest between Camp Jupiter, Camp Half-blood and the hunters of Artemis. The rules will be slightly altered too and these will be announced before the game. Any magic items are allowed but no maiming or killing if it can be helped. The new immortals will be able to take part in the game as will Artemis and her guardian" I was surprised at this but grinned. Percy really had pulled some strings today and this would be fun.

"The new immortals will be the generals of the army of Olympus and will assist the guardian in training you. Training starts tomorrow. You are all dismissed back to your normal activities". Most of the council flashed out leaving a few. Aphrodite looked like she was going to stay but then decided against it. The campers started to wander off back to what they were doing before and then Athena came up to Percy first. "Percy, why did you agree to make the remainder of the seven gods?". Percy was probably smiling. "Most of them did nothing wrong and the other two are still useful even if they did betray me. I would not allow my personal feelings to interfere with the greater good for Olympus". Athena smiled. "Thank you for giving them a second chance" and she flashed off

Hera came up once again. "You always want to help others don't you? Never yourself". Percy smiled. "I have everything I want and I do not need anything else so it is only fair I help others". Hera embraced Percy in a tight hug which he returned before she too flashed off somewhere. Ares came up next which surprised me. I thought he was going to ask to fight Percy but he just held out his hand and Percy took it. "Thank you for giving my daughter that reward. You really are one of the best heroes since ancient Greece. Not just for your achievements but for your attitude towards your friends" Percy was surrounded by a red glow. "I gave you my blessing, you will now be able to master any weapon you choose to with much less effort than normal and you will have faster reflexes. I also removed the curse I put on you so long ago". Percy nodded. "Clarisse deserved it. She is a fierce warrior and a great friend. I look forward to having a rematch one day". Ares grinned. "You are on punk" he then vanished too.

The rest had all left but then the new gods and goddesses came up to Percy. "We are to be working with you now then? I hope you don't mind but are you going to tell us who you are? I don't know how I feel about not knowing the identity of someone who is going to be leading us". This was Leo. I could understand where he was coming from but I still was not the biggest fan of it. Percy just shook his head. "I will only reveal my identity when I feel necessary and that is not at this moment. I promise that I have the best interests of the demigods and Olympus in mind and will try my hardest to make sure we do not lose too many demigods". Leo was going to say something before Annabeth cut him off. "Thank you. We will try and help anyway we can. I just wish Percy was here, he would be a huge help". I almost chuckled at the irony. Percy just put his hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "He will come back eventually but when he does he will be much different to the Percy you knew but you should be ready to apologise for your actions and know why you were wrong". Annabeth look surprised at this but smiled and hugged Percy. I would have been jealous but I could tell she meant it in a friendly way.

Annabeth walked off as did Leo leaving the hunters, Jason, Piper, Hazel and Frank. Jason was the first one to come up and gave Percy a hug. "Thank you. You didn't have to do this Perce". Percy just smiled. "Of course I did, you all helped defeat Gaia more than I did". Jason just smiled. "Thank you anyway Percy, really". The other girls then came up and gave Percy a big hug which he gladly returned. "See you at the game, may the best group win". This was Jason again and Percy smiled. "Don't worry, we plan too". Jason smirked. "Do not underestimate the legion Percy, we have more numbers and are well trained". Percy laughed. "True but I trained the hunters personally as did Artemis". Jason paled slightly then smiled. "I look forward to the challenge". They all started walking off, probably to learn about their new powers.

The next thing Percy knew he was smothered by three hunters who held him in a tight embrace which he smiled and returned. Zoё and Bianca were crying while they hugged him. "Thank you Percy! Now we don't have to worry about being taken back to the underworld". Percy just smiled as they cried onto his shoulder and Thalia just held on tight. "Thanks Kelp Head, this means a lot". Percy just kept smiling. "You all deserved it and I would not change my decision for anything". They all smiled and gave him one last hug.

"So we get to kick both the Romans and the Greeks butts in capture the flag then?" This was Thalia, no doubt excited at the prospect of fighting her brother. Percy smirked. "Yes we do so I suggest you all get acquainted with your new powers so you can use them in the game to kick their butts". They all smiled and walked off to train. I turned to Percy and held out my hand. "Come on, I want to show you something". He raised an eyebrow from what I could see under the hood but he took my hand and I flashed us both away.

 **Percy POV:**

After we flashed away I was confused as to where we were so I turned to Artemis who surprised me by suddenly kissing me, after a second I leaned into the kiss and wrapped my arms around her. We separated after a minute and we were both a light gold. "Not that I'm complaining but why did you kiss me?" Artemis blushed a heavy gold. "You made three of my hunters fully immortal including Thalia and Zoё who are like true sisters to me. You deserve at least that". I smiled at Artemis and pulled her into a hug which she happily returned.

"So what did you want to show me?" I asked after we separated from the hug but she kept her hand in mine. Artemis smiled and started to pull me along. "You will see" she said and then refused to say anything else. We walked through the forest for a while just enjoying each others company until we walked out into a clearing and I gasped. I could feel a connection to this place and immediately realised why. "It's the place on my armour!" i stated and Artemis smiled. "It is your sacred grove now and I thought that we should relax for a while before the game and that this place would be perfect" I smiled and kissed her again and she wrapped her arms around my neck and happily returned the kiss.

We layed down on the grass and looked up at the sky which was beginning to darken. A thought popped into my head. "Hey Arty, how do you pilot the moon chariot if you don't seem to leave the hunt?". She blushed slightly at the nickname but answered. "Mainly it is Diana or it's on autopilot". I raised an eyebrow. "How does the aspect thing work then as I never entirely understood it". Artemis laughed slightly and it sounded amazing. It sounded like a cool summer breeze on a hot day and the chirping of birds and it was beautiful. "Of course you never got it, your head's too full of kelp". I smirked and gave her a friendly elbow. "Very funny Arty". I didn't mind the dig but it was fun to see her blush at the use of her nickname. "But would you mind explaining it?" She nodded then began.

"While our Greek aspect is mostly the one in control the roman aspect does do other tasks. In my case Diana is usually talking in my head or up on the moon as the Romans worshipped us as more of a moon goddess than a goddess of the hunt at that time so Diana was mainly up on the chariot and so if I switch into Diana not only will my appearance change slightly but my behaviour will also change as well". I nodded. "Thanks, that saves any trouble later". Artemis raised an eyebrow at this so I decided to explain. "I don't want to mistake you with Diana, though with your explanation I don't think I would, and I don't want to assume everything is the same between me and your Roman aspect and me and your Greek aspect". Artemis smiled and pecked me on the cheek. "Looks like you do have some brains in your head and not just kelp". I smiled and closed my eyes, just enjoying the feeling of nature around me and Artemis lying at my side. I listened to the sea splashing against the cliff and fell into a restful sleep.

I woke up and saw that the sky had gone darker and the moon was rising above us. I looked down and saw that Artemis had fallen asleep on my chest and she looked peaceful. "Awe, don't you both look lovely". I looked up and saw, Artemis standing over me? Then I realised that this Artemis was taller by a few inches and her hair was pulled into a tight ponytail instead of being brushed behind her ears to fall down her back like Artemis. She also wore a toga that shimmered like silver instead of the practical trousers, T-shirt and coat that Artemis did. "Lady Diana" I said and I noticed that she had a grin on her face. "There is no need to be so formal with me Percy, I am your girlfriend after all". She then leant over and gave me a quick peck on the lips. I was very confused but Diana just smiled. "Since Artemis did not know I was here I should probably go back to being the voice in her head". She chuckled at this and then vanished into silver moonlight.

I checked my internal clock, handy thing gaining control of time, I could always tell what time it was. I realised that it was only half an hour before the game was due to start so I gently shook Artemis who groaned. "Five more minutes Percy" she said looking up at me and I chuckled. "Sorry but we don't have long before the capture the flag game starts so we better get to camp and make sure the hunters are ready to show the camps why they are undefeated". Artemis groaned again but sat up. I followed suit and sat up then got to my feet and offered my hand to help Artemis up. She smiled and took it. "Thanks, now let's go show those campers who is the best group of demigods!". I smiled as we flashed away back to camp to win the game.

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 **A/N: Another longer chapter for you guys and I am very happy with it. I always felt that the gods never rewarded the heroes of the seven after the war so I sorted that out plus a couple of extras that deserved their recognition. The aspect thing is now sorted (hopefully) and I will be able to include that further in the story. You have also met the douche who is causing trouble for Reyna and he will have a big part to play later on but for now I bid you goodbye, until the capture the flag game next chapter. - Nightshade Guardian**


	21. Chapter 21: Capture the flags

**A/N: Hey guys I hope you enjoyed the last chapter as I thought it not only advanced the plot a tad it helped to develop one relationship and set the stage for another. If some of you have not figured out I am setting up Thalia to be in a relationship with Reyna because they are a great couple if written correctly and I have only seen them in one fan fiction. I hope you enjoy Chapter 21 - Capture The Flags - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Percy POV:**

When we flashed back we were just outside of the cabin and all the hunters were there including Amy and Lisa who smiled and ran over to me and captured me in a hug. "Hey you two, how are you doing?". They both smiled brightly. "We're making lots of progress and Thalia said that we were better than you in archery now, not that it was hard". They giggled at that and I laughed. "Did she now? I will just have to see later then won't we?". They both smiled and nodded. "Are you both taking part in the game?". They nodded and I smiled. "Then you get to show anyone who comes after our flag that there is a reason the hunters are undefeated" They beamed then raced back over to the others.

Artemis was smiling down at me. "They really do see you as their big brother you know" I nodded. "I know. It's good to know I have a family again" Artemis briefly put her hand on my shoulder then walked over to the hunters. "Are you all ready to show up these campers?" a resounding chorus of yes came from the hunters who looked impressive even without any armour like the others would no doubt have. They shined a bright silver and there was a mixture of bows and daggers and other weapons.

I touched the scars on my cheek from my first few days with the hunters. I could have healed them but I decided to keep them to remind me of what had happened, even if some later memories made my blood boil. Artemis walked up beside me. "Let's go, we need to hear the rules" I nodded and started walking with her and the hunters towards the edge of the woods where Chiron was waiting.

The Greeks looked intimidating with their gleaming bronze armour and nearly two hundred demigods and the new immortals but the Romans were a sight to behold. About six hundred of them stood there in gleaming gold armour with shields, spears and gladii. Chiron spoke up. "The rules are simple, capture both of the other team's flags to win. No team is out if their flags are captured unless both flags have been captured by one team but individuals can still be eliminated by either a death blow withheld or unconsciousness. Hunters, you will be in the left side of the forest, Romans, the right and Greeks will be beyond the creek by Zeus' fist. All weapons, magic items and powers are allowed excluding true forms, teleportation and shape shifting. The flag must be visible and possible to reach even if it is difficult. You have five minutes before the game begins. Please go and set up your flags"

We all dashed off and found a clearing in our area that would be easily defensible and yet still difficult for the other demigods to find and grab the flag. "Put the flag in the branches of the tall tree in the middle" I said. "Still visible but it is very open and hard to get to without being seen". The hunters nodded then Thalia spoke up. "What about her? She still has the invisibility cap". I frowned. I had forgotten about that. I then remembered something I had read from the book Hecate had given me when I was skimming through and smirked. "Leave that to me". Thalia grinned then took charge.

"Amy, Lisa, Atlanta and Phoebe. I want you to stay here and guard the flag. Amy and Lisa in the open and Phoebe and Atlanta in the trees ready with their bows when anyone attacks" I raised my eyebrow at this. "So you are using Lisa and Amy as bait then?" Thalia nodded. "The Greeks have nearly two hundred campers with all the minor gods cabins and the Romans have three times that. We can't take them head on so we need to set up an ambush. We can have some others stay back too if needed". I nodded. "That's a good plan Sparky, but what if one of the seven or Reyna attacks. No offense but they don't stand much of a chance. Thalia grinned. "That is where you and I come in". I smirked when I realised what she meant. "This should be fun but I doubt that it will be a challenge". Artemis smirked. "Do not get overconfident". I smirked under the hood. "I promise we are winning this" She smirked. "Fine but you better not disappoint me". I continued to smirk. "They won't know what hit them"

The conch horn sounded and we dashed towards the creek. "You ready Kelp head?" Thalia asked but before I could answer a large bolt of lightning struck just in front of me forcing me to roll to the side when we were suddenly trapped in a ring of rocks and jewels. Jason flew down from the skies with thunder and lightning and Frank in the form of a dragon flew down with Hazel on his back. They all smirked. "Looks like we have you Percy. Surrender and we won't tell anyone how easily you got beat" this was Jason. They already had that ego that god's tended to have. I smirked noticing that they had completely forgotten Thalia who was currently sneaking around behind them. Looks like I had to play distraction for a while longer. "Sorry but I am not giving up that easily" I summoned up fotiá and immediately felt Hazel reach out and try to pull it out of my grasp with her power over precious metals. _At least they don't remember about the arm._ I smirked. "You want it? Have it" I let go and the blade spun towards Hazel who caught it and suddenly screamed and dropped the sword with a fresh burn on her hand.

"That's what happens when you play with too large a fire, you get burned". Frank went red and turned into an elephant and charged. I quickly summoned my twin short swords and met his charge by jumping and landing on his back. I held the black sword at the base of his spine. "Dead" I announced and flipped off his back as he transformed into an angry looking god who flashed away as I placed the swords in their sheaths that I had summoned to my waist. Jason smirked. "Hazel, immobilise him". I suddenly felt her force on my arm. I growled. "That is low Jason, you would use my own arm against me?". He shrugged. "Whatever to win".

I laughed. "You have a point but you seemed to have forgotten about someone". His eyes widened as he realised Thalia was not standing where she was before and Hazel suddenly had a knife to the neck. "Dead" Thalia said and the influence on my arm vanished as did Hazel and all the rocks she had summoned. "Dammit" Jason yelled and I smirked. "Don't forget about a secondary opponent to focus on the bigger threat. I will leave you to have some family bonding time. I did promise Thalia that she could fight you anyway" I picked up fotiá and started to run.

"Watch out" I heard Thalia call and I realised that Jason had sent a lightning bolt at my back. I smirked as I exerted my control over time. The lightning bolt stood still in the sky as did both Thalia and Jason. I moved out of the way and time resumed. "You missed" I taunted and he gritted his teeth. "I would love to stay and chat but as I said, I promised Thalia that she could fight you so I'm off" before he could reply I dashed off, leaving the two storm siblings to duke it out.

I headed towards the Greek side first, knowing there would be less opposition but there was still plenty of campers that tried to stop me but all ended up eliminated. "Dead, dead and dead" I declared as I whacked one over the head, mimed stabbing one's heart with one of my twin swords and held fotiá to the neck of another. They all were flashed out. I reached Zeus' fist and saw that Clarisse was there with a perfectly formed Phalanx and archers. "Fire!" she yelled and a hail of Arrows came towards me. I smirked. Time to show them some new tricks. I quickly waved my sword in front of me and created a shield of fire which burned all the arrows. When the arrows stopped the shield faded to reveal Clarisse lunging with her spear. She managed to knock fotiá out of my hand and pressed her advantage as I was left without a weapon and forced backwards.

"Yield!" she yelled as she aimed another strike which I quickly avoided. "Not a chance" I replied and drew my new twin swords. I caught her by surprise and managed to leave a shallow cut across her face after lunging forwards. She snarled and retaliated as we were locked into a fight. I smirked. She was not even near Artemis' level. I quickly feinted a swipe at her head which she went to block and lashed out with a kick instead. I noticed that the phalanx had been pushing forwards but were being assaulted by silver arrows and was beginning to break apart. Thank you Artemis and the hunters. I quickly lunged forwards but dropped my swords. Thinking I had gone mad Clarisse lunged and I ducked under then swung myself around her and grabbed her head. "Dead" I announced as I mimicked breaking her neck. She scowled then flashed out.

I turned towards the phalanx and smirked as I noticed that some had been flashed out because of the hunters. I picked up my swords again, twirled them around and I noticed an inscription I had not seen before. The black one had 'Kanshou' written on it and the white one had 'Bakuya'. I smiled. I knew the names of them now and dashed forwards to help finish off the phalanx.

 **Thalia POV:**

I smirked as Jason circled angrily. He held his gladius in one hand and the other was left free. He had obviously not thought he would need a shield. I smirked as I was going to show him just how wrong he was. Jason smirked and flew up into the air. "Sorry Thals, looks like you can't get me up here". I almost laughed at how wrong he was. When Percy had helped me after I got angry I had realised there was no need to be afraid of heights anymore and becoming a goddess, albeit a minor one, had exponentially helped not only my flying but my wind powers.

"I might not but I can bring you down". I held up my hand and the winds supporting him vanished and he fell for a second or two before managing to regain control but now we were fighting as to who had control over the wind. He tried to summon up a storm to help him but I laughed. "The wind is one of my domains Jason, you can't win" It was true. He was losing height faster than he could gain it and the storm was not affecting me in the slightest. A bolt of lightning flashed down and I had to roll out of the way which also meant losing control of the winds.

Jason laughed again. "Looks like the mighty lieutenant of the hunt is just a scared little girl". I frowned. This was not how Jason normally was. It must be his flaw, a thirst for power and now that he had it he probably felt superior to everyone else. Looks like it was time to knock him down a peg. I smirked as I watched him raise his gladius. "Ready to lose Thalia?" Jason asked and I laughed. "Sorry but I still have a trick or two up my sleeve" as I said this I called on the winds to support me and to make my fly. They did not disappoint. I shot upwards which, ironically, shocked Jason and caused him to lose focus on his storm. I took advantage of this and slammed the back end of my spear into his stomach which sent him sprawling backwards.

"What's the matter? Getting beat by a girl?". Jason turned furious and the air began to crackle with lightning. I laughed and sent a massive gust of wind towards him but he just seemed to shrug through it and sent bolts of lightning towards me. I used my newfound agility to dodge around them then closed the distance once again. This continued on for a while, each of us managing several blows on the other but I still seemed to hold the upper hand. I saw a chance to end the fight when he charged. He flew forwards and was aiming to stab me so I gathered the winds around my spear and when he came in range I sidestepped and swung down. The effect was even better than I could have hoped. He was immediately sent shooting down and crashed into the earth. I floated down to where he was lying and held my spear to his back "Dead". I proclaimed and watched as he got up with anger in his eyes.

"How? I should be better than this! I am a god!". I stepped forward and slapped him. "Get a hold of your flaw Jason. Just because you are a god does not mean you are better than everyone else. Artemis or Percy could easily beat you as could most of the Olympians so don't go acting all high and mighty now". Jason's eyes widened at this and then filled with shame as he realised how he had acted. "You're right, sorry Thals". I smiled and hugged him. "No problem. I will always be here to knock you down a peg when you need it" he laughed then flashed away. I suddenly felt dizzy after using that much power and had to lean against a tree for a second. After I was feeling better I was about to continue with the plan when I heard a scream. "That sounded like it came from the hunters flag" I said and started running.

 **Percy POV:**

I had just finished off the phalanx with the help of the hunters when I heard a scream. Artemis dropped down from the trees with a look of worry on her face. "That sounded like it came from the direction of the hunters flag". I nodded. "I know" I turned to the accompanying hunters. "Take the flag and me and Artemis will go ahead to see what is happening". They nodded and we dashed off.

As we were running we met Thalia who was also running in the same direction. "You heard it to then?" I asked and she nodded. "I just hope it's not Amy or Lisa". I nodded and turned to Artemis. "Any ideas?". She shook her head. "All I could tell is that it was a female scream". I smiled. "I wonder…" I didn't finish that as we came into the hunters clearing to find Annabeth on the floor, twitching with her hat a few feet away, while Amy and Lisa were trying to fight off some of the Romans while Phoebe and Atlanta were firing arrows which bounced harmlessly off the tortoise formation. "So it was her. Let's go help them" they nodded and we charged into the Romans at the back.

They had not expected an attack from behind and were quickly disoriented until a voice shouted out. "Romans! Form up and fight back!" Reyna had emerged and looked every bit the Praetor that she was. Gleaming golden armour with a purple cloak along with a pilum in her hand and shield on her arm. "Time for a rematch" Thalia said even though I could see a slight golden blush on her face. I smirked. "Go get her Thals" she smiled. "I plan too" and then she charged the praetor with aegis up and her spear ready.

The Romans had suddenly got into a tight shield wall with pilums pointed outwards. I laughed. "This should be fun!" and summoned my armour. The Romans were taken aback at this before I charged towards them. They must have thought I had gone mental but just before I hit the pilum I jumped and flipped over the top of the formation. They tried to stab me with either pilum or their gladii but I dodged out the way and slipped the two knives from their sheaths on my arms and got my first look at them. They were made of silver and had a gap in the middle of two blades that looked razor sharp. "Let's go" I said and began whirling around, creating havoc and eliminating people left and right.

 **Thalia POV:**

I knew that Reyna was a tough opponent but it seemed that becoming a goddess had improved her fighting ability even more. I dodged and weaved to avoid her pilum and shield which she used to attack as well as to defend. I tried summoning lightning bolts but she just rolled out the way and they had no effect. "Sorry but I am not allowing those to hit me. They would probably leave me out of commission for a week" I smirked. "You got that right but that's not my only trick" I summoned the winds to buffet her and she stumbled. I went forward to press the advantage when I saw her tense and realised it was a feint. I brought up aegis to block the strike I knew was coming and was not surprised when she dropped the pilum and drew her gladius in an attempt to get through my guard.

The golden blade clashed against my shield again and again and each blow had a good amount of strength behind it and I struggled to keep Reyna at bay. While this was going on I was able to get a good look at Reyna. She had a face that seemed to have a permanent serious look on it but her eyes were what caught my attention. They were a deep black and I could plainly see a fighting spirit and determination behind them but also there was something else. Something that took me a second to identify. Frustration. She was frustrated about something and I wanted to find out what. I knew Reyna had once had a crush on Jason but she still talked to me as a friend and treated with me with respect after Jason became Piper's boyfriend and I had enjoyed her company so I wanted to help her but first I needed to win this fight.

Reyna thrust her shield forwards and I pushed it out of the way with aegis and managed to force it off her arm but she retaliated by kicking aegis off my arm. We clashed our weapons again and I could tell I was losing to her and needed to do something extreme to win. I remembered the fight Artemis and Percy had once had and how Artemis had won. That would do even if it would probably be slightly awkward. Oh well, whatever to win I suppose. Reyna went for another stab with her gladius which I deflected using my spear and then stepped in towards her. Before she could move away I kissed her. Reyna froze and I could feel her lips below mine but what confused me is the feelings that it stirred inside me. I liked the kiss but wasn't sure why. I quickly broke it off then swept my spear across and took her legs from under her and held my spear to her heart. "Dead" I said then stepped backwards.

Reyna looked confused then seemed to shake her head. I held out my hand. "Sorry about that. Anything to win right?" she remained still for a second then took my hand and laughed. The laugh sounded great to me and I blushed slightly but shook my head quickly. I pulled her up and she was smiling. "That was certainly an effective tactic, I was not expecting my opponent to kiss me in mid fight" I laughed and blushed slightly. "Yea, Artemis taught us we should do anything to win in a fight and that was just an example of that" Reyna raised an eyebrow. "Why does it sound like there is more to that story?" I shrugged. "She used the tactic against our guardian to win" Reyna looked surprised. "Lady Diana kissed a male?" A voice spoke from the side of us. "Yes I did as a way to distract my opponent and win a fight so don't go and get any ideas" I looked around and Artemis was standing there with an annoyed look.

"Why were you telling her about that story Thalia?" her voice was dangerous and I gulped when Reyna stepped in. "She was explaining why she used that tactic Lady Di- Artemis" I smiled slightly, thankful that Reyna was standing up for me and Artemis raised an eyebrow. "She used the same tactic on you?" there seemed to be amusement in her voice and Reyna nodded. "Yes and it was very effective" Artemis laughed. "Well it seems that you do occasionally pay attention Thalia" I smiled and rubbed the back of my head. Suddenly the rest of the hunters burst into the clearing carrying the Greek flag. And some had bows drawn but when they saw that we were talking they relaxed. Someone began to laugh. We turned to see the Roman's that had come to try and take the flag were mostly on the floor unconscious or were getting their ass handed to them by Percy.

Percy was whirling about so fast he was almost a blur but what was funny was the Roman's reactions. They were trying to attack but every time got sent flying backwards into trees or had their legs swept from under them so they fell backwards onto their butts. Amy and Lisa were both on the floor rolling around in laughter at how easily the Romans were getting beaten. Reyna sighed and shook her head. "I really thought they might put up more of a fight". Artemis smirked. "I wouldn't be so surprised, he spent four years on his own doing nothing but fight and rescue demigods then another year with us training and helping to fight whatever attacked us". Reyna just nodded. "True but I thought that he would struggle against the sheer number and that someone might get a lucky shot. Artemis continued smirking. "That's why he wore his armour, so something like that couldn't happen".

I gave Artemis a puzzled look. "Armour?" but suddenly the blur stopped and all the Roman's were on the floor and were flashed away and out of the game. I then was able to see what Artemis meant and it took my breath away. He was in a set of coloured celestial bronze armour with silver inlays and boots which fit him perfectly and kept him protected from each attack. What took my breath away though was the images on the armour. It had a bright silver moon on the back and on the front was a wolf in a forest clearing on a cliff howling at the moon. Reyna raised her eyebrows too. "When did he get that?" she asked and Artemis responded with an undertone of pride in her voice. "When the council decided to promote him to the commander of the armies of Olympus". Reyna smiled. "Well I can see why they did" I laughed. "You have no idea, he is not even taking this very seriously".

"Not entirely true it is just that if I did not hold back a bit we could win in a second and where is the fun in that". I jumped as Percy was suddenly behind me. "Would you stop doing that?" I asked and he laughed. "Sorry but it was to funny not to". Reyna looked confused. "How did you get behind her without even moving?" she asked and he chuckled. "Think about what I showed you" and a look of understanding crossed her face. "Of course, I should have known. Have fun in the rest of the game" she said and then flashed away.

"Ready to go and finish the game?" Percy asked and I nodded and turned to the hunters. "Put the flag with ours and some more of you should stay behind as well just in case" I then saw Annabeth who was still lying on the floor but no longer twitching. "What did you do to her?" I asked Percy as she did not look very responsive. He shrugged. "I just set up a little spell that detects magic and if it does it incapacitates the user unless I have made sure they are unaffected by it by inscribing a small symbol somewhere on them or their possessions" I raised an eyebrow. "That seems slightly more complicated than the magic you have used before, where did you learn that?" I asked and he held up a book that had appeared in his hand. "A little gift from Hecate, some more powerful spells and a few new weapons if I can figure out how to summon them". The book then vanished and he walked over to Annabeth and held a knife at her neck. "Dead" he announced and she vanished along with her cap that was a few feet away.

He turned to me, Artemis and the hunters. "Shall we?" there were nods all around and Artemis had a smirk on her face. "Let's show these Romans how it's done" he said and then started to run with us following behind. It took us a few minutes to get to the Roman area and the flag was out in the open with nobody around it. I was about to walk forward when Percy held up a hand. He pointed at something and I saw a glint of gold in the surrounding forest. "An ambush" he whispered. "Good but not good enough. Get ready to shoot". I motioned for the hunters to get into firing position as Percy walked forward into the clearing. The Roman's sprang to life and triggered the ambush. They charged forward, aiming to get Percy when he suddenly whipped out his wings which came through slots on his armour and he began to fly above them. "Now!" he yelled and we all began to fire at the Romans.

The Romans were quick to realise that they had been tricked and got into a tortoise formation to protect them from us. "Let's go. Close quarters" I said and the hunters nodded while Artemis jumped into a tree and started climbing around towards the flag. We then charged forward to meet the Romans who were changing formation to more of a shield wall than a tortoise but they had forgotten about one major thing. Percy. He landed behind them and started causing chaos again while the hunters and I attacked them at the front keeping them occupied.

I noticed that the child of Mars who had spoken out against Percy earlier was not here and hadn't been in the Romans who attacked the flag. Odd. I was brought out of my musing by a pilum that brushed past my face and I returned my attention to the fight and noticed with a smile that Artemis had the flag in hand and was about to climb up a tree to escape. Suddenly she flipped backwards as a demigod stepped out the forest holding a gladius. It was Steven. He smirked as he tried to continue his attack on Lady Artemis but she just twirled the flag like a staff and knocked the gladius out of his hand before whacking him over the head with it and then sweeping his legs out from under him. She held a hunting knife to his neck. "Dead" she announced and turned to start heading towards where our flag was when Steven suddenly grabbed his gladius and tried to stab Artemis through the back.

The air suddenly turned extremely cold and most of the Romans started to shiver. Percy was suddenly standing behind Artemis and had caught the gladius. "You have disrespected the rules son of Mars and tried to perform a deathblow upon an Olympian" his voice sounded cold and almost emotionless. "Your punishment will be decided after the match. Steven snarled. "Fuck you _graecus_ scum" he said and tried to pull his gladius back but found he couldn't. Percy said something in some weird language that I couldn't understand and suddenly chains made of Celestial bronze shot up from the ground and wrapped themselves around the roman's wrists and legs binding him to the floor. "Lord Mars, appear before me to smite the enemies of New Rome!" yelled out Steven. All the Romans had stopped fighting now and were watching the scene unfold. Percy chuckled. "He won't - I'll be damned" he said as Mars appeared in full armour and held a sword in hand.

Mars looked around and then down at his son in chains. "Why have you summoned me and why are you chained?". Steven snarled. "These _graecus_ are the enemies of New Rome and have restrained me for being roman". Percy coughed and Mars turned around and saw him. "Why are you here?" he asked. "I thought -" he was cut off by Percy. "Things changed as I am sure you can ask your aspect about but I can tell you the real reason why your son is chained. He was eliminated from our game of capture the flag by Lady Artemis and when she turned to leave he attempted to kill her by impaling her through the back. He is in chains to stop him trying to run so we may decide his punishment afterwards". Mars scowled and turned to his son. "You tried to attack an opponent dishonourably after you lost a game and dare to call them the enemies of New Rome after all the help they provided during the last two wars. You are no son of mine. I, Mars Ultor, hereby disown Steven Mulloy as my son". A red aura formed around Steven and was then pulled towards Mars as Steven yelled out in pain. Mars then turned to Percy. "Sorry about him and the trouble he has caused for you" his face almost turned sympathetic. "If anyone deserves peace it's you". Percy just nodded. "It's not your fault for his behaviour. Same way it is not Apollo's fault for the trouble Octavian caused". Percy held out his hand. Mars smiled and shook it. "Thank you…?" "Guardian" Percy supplied. Mars nodded. "Thank you Guardian, you have made an ally today. I will support you in whatever you do as long as it is right and honourable or you have a valid reason for doing so" Percy nodded. "That sounds fair" Mars smiled and then flashed away.

Percy then turned to the Romans. "You may continue the game if you want" he said. They looked to each other and nodded. One of them stepped forward, who looked slightly like a vampire with red all around his mouth, and took a swig from a hip flask. "We do not wish to continue. The game goes to the hunters of Artemis rightfully. Our flag was taken and one of our team broke the rules. I, Dakota, as centurion of the fifth cohort and acting commander of the Roman forces in this game concede the game". The conch horn sounded and the flag in Artemis' hand turned to a bright silver with an image of the moon on it but below it was a cliff above the sea. I raised an eyebrow at this then turned to the Romans. "We should head back to the main camp and explain the situation". They all nodded and started walking off while talking. I turned to the hunters. "Go and tell all our sisters that were left at our flag the game is over and to head back to camp". They all nodded and started to walk off while I headed towards Percy, Artemis and Dakota.

Percy turned to the chained Steven who was glaring at him with hatred in his eyes. "You will stand trial for your actions. Former son of Mars" he then clicked his fingers and a magic circle appeared below him and the chains then moved upwards, teleporting the demigod away.

Dakota continued to look at Percy and seemed confused. "Have we met before? You seem familiar". Percy turned his head and saw that the remainder of the legion was leaving. His armour vanished and left him in his normal clothes with the hood up. Dakota's eyes widened. "You are the person that helped the demigods get to camp" Percy chuckled. "Yes I am, to both camps and the hunters if needed". Dakota was still slightly squinting at Percy. "You seem more familiar than that though. Your presence feels old and like I knew you a long time ago" Percy sounded surprised. "What do you mean?". Dakota shrugged. "As a son of Bacchus I can feel the aura of someone I share a drink, food or party with and yours seems so familiar and yet so different". Percy sounded almost emotionless when he next talked. "Lots has changed since we last met Dakota". He reached up and pulled down his hood.

Dakota looked shocked. "Percy? Is it really you?" Percy laughed. "Who else?" Dakota smiled. "It's good to see you again" he said and Percy nodded. "You too but I would like you to keep my identity a secret for now, I'm sure you heard what happened or at least some of it so I hope you understand. Dakota nodded. "Sure, you can trust me Percy" he then turned and started heading towards camp.

Percy pulled his hood up again and turned to Artemis who had a raised eyebrow. "He was one of the first people I met at camp Jupiter and he always stood with us as did his cohort" Artemis nodded. "We going to go and see what happens to that ex-son of Mars then?". Percy nodded then I spoke up. "I'll grab his sword then. Extra evidence or just give it back to the legion so it's not wasted" I walked over and was about to pick it up when I noticed something on the blade. "Did Steven manage to cut you milady?". Artemis frowned then checked herself over quickly. "No, why?". I felt a chill down my spine as I said the next words. "Because there is Ichor on the blade".

Percy turned sharply at this. "What?". I held up the blade for him to look at. He grabbed it and looked closely. He turned to Artemis. "Where did he come from?". She pointed at a small gap and Percy began running and we immediately followed. When we caught up to him he had found a small clearing and was bent over someone. "Percy, who is it?" I asked and he looked up. His hood was down and there was two clear emotions in his eyes. Concern and Anger. "It's Reyna" he said and I felt like a wedge of ice had been driven into me. "What? How?" I asked and he shrugged. "I don't know but I do know that this was deliberate" he moved backwards and we could see the wound that went right through Reyna. It was leaking Ichor from where the sword had obviously pierced her from behind. "Heal her then Kelp head!" I yelled and he glared at me. "I tried" he simply stated then, to demonstrate, placed his hands, which were glowing orange, over the wound and we watched as the glow suddenly turned black and burst, having made no impact on the wound.

"It's a curse. A horrible curse that eats away at the essence of the victim" he stated and my eyes widened. "Is there anyway to save her?" I asked and he hesitated. The book from before was suddenly in his hands and he was leafing through it. "Maybe, if I can find the right page. Found it" he stated and placed it down. The page was written in some odd writing that seemed like Greek but it was constantly shifting about and I couldn't read it. "What is that?" asked Artemis. "If I am right, a way to save her but unfortunately this is going to require lots of energy and a good look at the wound. Sorry Reyna" he said and then clicked his fingers as her armour and shirt vanished leaving her in just a purple bra and trousers but also allowing us to see the wound better. The wound was leaking Ichor like normal but there were also black lines that were spreading outwards from it and that seemed to be moving upwards towards her heart and all the skin around the lines was turning grey. Percy scowled. "Damn, this is worse than I thought, the only reason she has not faded is because she is a fighter"

Percy placed his hands over the wound and then closed his eyes. A cold wind started up again and swirled around them but it was nowhere near as severe as before. Percy then began to chant. The language was odd and I couldn't understand it yet it sounded familiar. I realised that it was the same language the council had been chanting to turn us into immortals. Artemis looked shocked but didn't say anything as a magic circle began to form around Reyna and Percy.

This magic circle was far more intricate than the ones I had seen him use before. There were many complicated symbols and sigils around the edge of it and in the centre was a giant symbol that I recognised but couldn't remember. The chant continued and the magic circle formed completely around them and glowed a bright silver.

Lines started to swirl inwards from the symbols at the edge of the circle and they began to move up Reyna's stomach to encircle the wound. Reyna began to spasm as the black lines started to be pushed back into the silver circle that were now surrounding the wound. "Hold her down" Percy said quickly and continued chanting. I ran and grabbed her shoulders while Artemis held her legs. The black lines were almost gone now and some sort of black energy was forming above where Reyna had been stabbed. Once all the black lines had gone the energy suddenly grew and Percy had to grit his teeth as he continued the chant. Steven's sword suddenly lifted up off the ground and hovered there then the energy shot towards it and was absorbed. Percy stopped chanting and fell backwards with a gasp as the circle vanished and the sword fell to the floor. The wound was gone and there was no trace of anything ever having happened.

Artemis walked over to Percy quickly. "Are you alright Percy?". He nodded and she summoned up some nectar and gave it to him. "Thanks Arty" he said and I noticed her blush and almost laughed. I guess kelp head really did have some charm. I turned to Reyna and blushed when I noticed that she was still only in her bra and trousers which revealed most of her upper body and allowed me to see how athletic she really was. I admired how her stomach was flat and toned but not overly muscular and her arms were strong but didn't look out of proportion to the rest of her body.

"Checking Reyna out Thals?" Percy asked teasingly. "Don't you know that's a creepy thing to do when their unconscious?" I blushed furiously and turned to face him. "I am not checking her out! I swore of romance as a hunter remember?" I felt a slight drop at that. Could I be disappointed about that? Percy smirked. "You do know you only swore off men not women? So technically Reyna is not off the menu, also the oath is slightly hypocritical now so Artemis will probably have to change it slightly when word of us finally reaches the council". I paused at that. He had a point about the oath then I saw his smirk widen again then he turned serious. "All jokes aside Thalia, you need to figure out how you feel about her before you lose your chance. Don't make the mistake I almost did". He smiled sadly at the memory but then snapped his fingers and Reyna's shirt appeared back on her but without any holes or Ichor stains.

"Thalia, you grab Reyna and I'll grab the sword" I nodded and heaved Reyna onto my back. She was heavier than she looked. "Artemis, if you wouldn't mind, I think we have someone to punish" she nodded, placed her hands on our shoulders and flashed us away.

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 **A/N: That was chapter 21, I hope you enjoyed it. The chapter had more Thalia and Reyna shipping in it than I had originally planned but I am happy with it. I felt that the issue with Steven had to be dealt with this chapter as I never intended him to be a long running antagonist but I can also change his fate slightly if you guys really want him to stay on but to have any influence on how the story goes please review so I know what you guys want. Until next time - Nightshade Guardian**


	22. Chapter 22: Suspended Sentence

**A/N: Hello once again, I am so sorry it has been a stupidly long time since I last updated but I had a serious case of writer's block and couldn't think of how to progress the story and even now I am not too happy with this chapter but it was the best I could come up with. To make up for how stupidly long it has been I managed to write a longer chapter. I promise that the wait between chapters won't be as long this time. You can hold me to that. Hope you enjoy chapter 22 - Suspended sentence - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Percy POV:**

When we arrived at camp we were in the Artemis cabin. "Thalia, I want you to go and put Reyna down on one of the beds so she can rest and regain her strength. We can ask her what happened after she wakes up" Artemis said and Thalia nodded. "Ok milady" and then she went to go and place Reyna somewhere. Artemis turned to me. "Unless you want to let everyone know your identity, you should probably put your hood up". I had forgotten I had left it down. "Thanks Arty" I said and flicked up my hood with a smile at her cute golden blush at the use of her nickname. I then opened the door and started to walk towards the centre of camp, Artemis right beside me.

When we got there we could see most of the camp was crowded around the arena where Steven was chained and Mars was standing there. Mars scanned the crowd and then saw us as we walked up . "Ah, you arrived then". The campers looked confused until I responded. "Yea, would you mind calling the rest of the council? I think that they should be the ones to oversee this". Mars nodded and clicked his fingers sending a red spark into the sky. Artemis grabbed my shoulder and flashed us down to the arena. I leaned against the wall as we waited for the other Olympians to arrive.

After a few minutes all the other Olympians had arrived. They all had differing facial reactions to Steven being chained but they didn't comment. When everyone had arrived Zeus spoke up. "Why was this meeting called and why is there a demigod chained to the floor?". He didn't seem angry but more curious. I stepped forward from the side of the arena and Zeus raised an eyebrow. "Hello Guardian, has this demigod been causing problems?". I smirked under my hood. "Yes and not only for me but for Praetor Reyna too". Zeus raised an eyebrow again. "So is this Octavian 2.0 then?" he said and Steven paled as he realised how much trouble he was in. I nodded. "Yes, he is that idiot". Zeus smirked.

"Who is his parent? Is it Apollo again?". I burst out laughing as did Artemis. "Hey!" Apollo said indignantly. "That was one time and technically he was my legacy not my son!". Artemis managed to stop laughing long enough to look at Apollo. "Twice. Which is one more than most other gods and it doesn't matter. He was still your responsibility" and then she continued to laugh. Apollo huffed.

"I'm glad you find it funny. After a minute we calmed down and I spoke up. "No, this time the parent is not Apollo, it's Mars".

They turned to Mars, slightly surprised. "I will admit, Steven is my child and numerous times has asked for my assistance in destroying the greeks but each time I told him that they were not his enemies and that he should accept them. He apparently couldn't take my advice". Zeus nodded. "What happened so that he is restrained as I would assume there is a reason other than his distrust of the greeks". I nodded. "Yes, he disobeyed the rules of the capture the flag game and attempted to impale Artemis after he was eliminated. I stopped him and restrained him after." Zeus raised an eyebrow. "Is that all he is accused of or is there any more examples of his foolishness?" I shook my head. "No. He also stands accused of attempted murder of Praetor Reyna". Everyone bar Artemis looked shocked.

"Do you have any evidence of this crime since this is another serious accusation. It's not that we don't trust your word but I think I speak for the council when I say that proof would help us decide what to do" asked Zeus and I summoned Steven's sword which I had placed in my helpful immortal storage. "This sword has the blood of Praetor Reyna on it and bears a curse that, as far as I can tell, eats away at the person's very life force who it has impaled. You can call Hecate if you wish to confirm this" Apollo shook his head. "No need for that pops, I can sense he is telling the truth" Zeus scowled. "That raises many questions about both him and this sword. We will take Steven back to Olympus for now to learn more about this sword. When Praetor Reyna wakes up, call the council again and we will discuss matters further. Until then, I think it is time the campers started their training. After all, we have no clue as to how much time we have left". I nodded. "True. We need to make the most out of every moment from now on" Zeus smiled then grabbed Steven then flashed out. The other gods took this as a sign and flashed away. I received a glance from both Hera and Poseidon which obviously meant that they expected me to visit them soon. I smiled at how my family had turned out.

I turned to the campers and smirked under the hood. They had no idea what sort of training they were getting into. "Right!" I yelled, startling some of them. "I want you all to go and get your weapons and any magic items you might possess and bring them with you back to the arena within an hour. Please do not be late because if you are late you will be worked twice as hard. Do you all understand?". I heard a chorus of 'yes' throughout the crowds. "Good. Get to it then". They all rushed off back towards their cabins. Artemis walked over to me from where she had been standing. "How hard are you going to push them?" she asked and I shrugged. "I don't know. As hard as they need to be pushed considering who our opponent is". Artemis let out a sigh. "True, this was never going to be an easy war and we still have no idea of his plans" I nodded. "That is a major problem but all we can do is train them the best we can and, when it is time, fight as hard as we can". Artemis looked out towards the horizon. "What happens if our best is not good enough?" she said and I could clearly see the worry in her eyes. I reached over and gently squeezed her shoulder. "It won't come to that" I said. Determined to make sure that I was telling the truth.

Artemis smiled at me and I let go of her shoulder. "Let's go." She said. "We don't want Thalia getting up to any mischief" I laughed and we started walking. "You noticed too then?" I asked and she nodded. "That was part of the reason I had her stay behind, to see if anything came of it. I admit I was not fair to some of my followers who felt the same way before but now I realise my mistakes and should be more accepting of their feelings. If I were not then I would be a hypocrite. Especially now". I smiled. "At least you can see your mistakes unlike other gods" Artemis smiled. "True. We do tend to be rather stubborn. Especially my brother". I laughed at this and we continued towards the cabin, talking all the way.

 **Thalia POV:**

After I went into the cabin I placed Reyna down on the large bed in the back of the cabin instead of the standard bunks we slept on. This was usually for Lady Artemis when she needed to sleep here but she would probably make an exception this time. The cabin was much bigger than it appeared from the outside, probably because of godly magic or something and I was very glad it was. I pulled up a chair, sat down beside the bed and looked at Reyna. She looked peaceful like this. The tension was gone from her face and her muscles were relaxed instead of the usual tension they held. Her black hair was framing her face and made it look even more beautiful than usual. I shook my head quickly at that thought. I was forbidden from romance as a hunter and I did not need to fall in love again. Not after what happened with Luke.

Reyna started to shake and turn in the bed. I realised she must be having a nightmare. I gently shook her shoulder and her eyes shot open, filled with fear and she sat up. When she saw me the fear drained out of her eyes and she suddenly grabbed me in a hug. The hug felt nice and I smiled then returned the hug. After a few seconds I felt her shaking. She was crying. I hugged her tighter and whispered soothing words into her ear. What had her so shaken up? I heard the door to the cabin open and turned my head to see the rest of the hunters coming in. When they saw us they stopped. I held a finger to my lips to indicate that they should be quiet and they nodded then went about quietly putting their bows and arrows down. Some of them came over to see what was going on but I waved them away. Reyna did not need excess amounts of attention right now. Eventually all the hunters settled down on their bunks, waiting. Reyna had stopped crying now but was still hugging me tightly and secretly I was happy at the fact. I heard the door open again and turned my head to see Artemis step through followed by Percy.

Artemis walked forward and sat down on the bed beside us. "How is she?" she asked softly and I just shook my head. Percy then came up and knelt down in front of Reyna. "Reyna?". This caused her to break away from me and latch on to Percy. He held her tightly and put his hand up to her head. His hand glowed both orange and brown and Reyna seemed to relax. After a minute the glow subsided and Reyna let go of Percy. "Percy?" she said. "Where am I?". Percy smiled and stood up. "You're safe. You're in the Artemis cabin. We took you here after the game".

Reyna's eyes darkened at this but she stood up nonetheless. "I assume that you talked to the gods?" she asked Percy and he nodded. "Yes. They are waiting to do anything more until you talk to them but I think that should wait". Reyna hesitated but nodded. "Ok, can I talk to them tomorrow?" there was something bothering her but it wasn't something I could place. Percy smiled. "Of course, they will wait. Until then you should rest". Reyna shook her head. "Not a chance. I am not going to just sit about and wait. I am going to train so nothing like that will ever happen again". This confused me. What was she talking about? Reyna turned to Artemis next. "Milady, I would like to join the hunt if you would allow it".

All of the hunt looked shocked and even Artemis raised an eyebrow. We had never had a Roman in the hunt before and I wondered what Artemis was going to say. "I have never had a Roman in my hunt before" Artemis said. "This was because of the rules separating the Greeks and Romans but now there are no such rules. I do not know why you wish to join the hunt but I will gladly accept you. Repeat after me" Artemis then said the oath that all hunters had to repeat to join the hunt but there was something different about it. Once Reyna had repeated the oath and glowed silver I realised what was different. Part of the oath had been omitted. The oath usually had the hunter swear of men, accept eternal maidenhood and join the hunt but this time there was nothing on swearing off men. I smirked. Looks like Artemis had changed it so she was no longer a hypocrite then.

 **Percy POV:**

After Reyna had been accepted into the hunt I started to think over what to do to prepare the campers for the upcoming war. Most of them were good with swords and spears and other typical weapons but the enemy would have overwhelming numbers and no doubt he would have some tricks up his sleeve that would make all this meaningless. I thought back to what I did with Zoё. I had unlocked her powers that she should have had on a whim and still didn't know how I had done it. " _I can answer that"_ spoke a voice in my mind. It was the spirit that was meant to be helping me with my newfound knowledge or whatever which had not made much of a difference yet. " _Enter your mindscape and I can explain"_. I gathered that my mindscape must be that barren world I had been in when I first saw him. While all the hunters rushed about finding their new sister a bow, daggers and whatever else she needed I sat down on a bunk and closed my eyes. Imagining myself back in that world.

When I opened my eyes I was standing in the barren world but this time there were different swords everywhere. All the swords were different shapes and sizes and from all different countries and ages. " _Welcome back"_ said a voice and I turned to see the spirit in front of me. " _You came searching for a way to stand up to Tartarus and you were wondering about what you did with Zoё, correct?"_. I nodded. "Yea, what was that, I barely remember doing it". The spirit smiled. " _What you did was draw out the true strength of the girl by using some of your magic. You were able to do it because she had reached the height of what she could become on her own and you broke down the barrier between her and the rest of her powers"_. I thought about this for a second. "So, using my magic, I can basically make any demigod who has become as powerful as they can more powerful?". The spirit nodded. " _It is not just if they have reached their most powerful, they need to be able to physically withstand the strain the new powers would put on them"._

I considered this. It would give us a better chance of winning against him but it would take each demigod a long time to reach their peak. The spirit shook his head. " _It is a chance you will need to take if you want to win"_ I nodded. "You have a point. I guess I should probably go and get started" The spirit smiled. I was about to imagine myself back in the cabin when a thought occurred to me. "What's your name?" I asked. The spirit looked surprised. " _Why do you ask?"_. I smiled. "I can't keep on calling you 'spirit' now can I?". He laughed at this. " _You can call me Archer. That is the name I go by"._ I smiled. "I'll see you in a while then, Archer" and then I closed my eyes and imagined myself back in the cabin.

When I opened them again I was greeted by Artemis staring at me. "Decided to take a nap?" she looked slightly annoyed and I realised I had been in my mindscape for over half an hour. "Sorry" I said and stood up, flicking my hood up as I did so. "But I needed some advice". Artemis looked confused but I started walking towards the door anyway. "Let's go, that includes you hunters". Thalia scowled. "Why?". I turned to face her as I stopped. "Because we are going to need to be as strong as possible when the time comes so you don't get any special treatment even if you are better than the campers". Thalia looked displeased but motioned that the hunters should follow as I walked back towards the arena.

When we got there, all of the demigods had gathered in the arena and all of them looked serious. I smirked. I had the perfect idea on how to start with their training. "Wait here for a moment" I said and then jumped down into the arena. "Alright then. You all look prepared for this training so let's get it underway". All the demigods were in full armour and had their weapons of choice. "To start I am going to assess your combat abilities, as such I want you all to fight your hardest against the enemy". Someone raised their hand. "What enemy?". I smirked under my hood. "This one" I said and clapped my hands. A bunch of Ice clones appeared around the arena with different weapons in their hand. "You are all going to fight against these ice-warriors for five minutes. After that I will split you up into different groups depending on your skill. BEGIN". At this the ice clones began to fight the campers.

I jumped back up to where Artemis and the hunters were standing. "Once they have finished this part, you will also be split up into groups with the exception of Artemis". Thalia still looked annoyed. "Why is Artemis not training then if we all need to be at our strongest, surely she could use practice". Artemis frowned but I smiled. "True but Artemis is objectively better than all of the campers and hunters so it would be a waste of time to allocate her to one of the groups as such she will spar with me so we can both practice" Thalia still looked annoyed but didn't protest. What had her in such a rotten mood? I turned back to the campers and quietly watched. There was a clear distinction in those who were confident and had experience and those who were not confident and had little experience in actual combat. The first group were the ones managing to keep up with the ice clones with little effort while the second group mostly consisted of hit and run tactics and general inefficiency.

After the five minutes were up I clapped my hands again and the ice clones vanished. Some of the campers fell to the floor looking exhausted while others only looked mildly out of breath. I jumped down into the arena again and clapped my hands to get the campers attention. "Alright. I am now going to sort you into four groups" One camper raised their hand. "Yes, what is it?". The crowd shuffled to the side to reveal Annabeth standing there. "Why are you dividing us into four groups? Why not have the same training for everyone?". There were murmurs of agreement throughout the crowd. I sighed. "Because not everyone is at the same skill level and some would find it too easy and others too hard". Annabeth seemed to think this over for a second then responded. "How are you going to be able to help every group at the same time then?". I clicked my fingers and three other versions of myself appeared. It was disconcerting to do this especially as I hadn't done it before. "Like this" I responded. "Any other questions?". She shook her head and I went about splitting them up into the different groups.

Once I had finished with this I turned to the hunters. "You girls are next so get down here". Most of them just jumped down and waited apart from Thalia who floated down. "Thalia, you, Phoebe, Atlanta, Zoё, Bianca and Reyna are going to be joining group one as you are the most experienced and capable in the hunters excluding Artemis. The rest of you can split yourselves up between groups two and three as you see fit". Another demigod spoke up angrily. "How come they get to choose which group they go into and we don't?". It was somebody that I didn't know but he was dressed in greek armour. "Simply because I trust them to make the right decision whereas lots of you would probably overestimate your abilities and hold back training. Do you have a problem with that?" the demigod scowled but shook his head. "Alright then, please follow the clone that will be in charge of your group to the area where you will be training. I walked over to group one as the other clones walked off in different directions.

I looked over the group and realised it was comprised of all the new immortals. "All of you are here because of the role you all played in the last two wars and because your combat ability is much higher than all of the other groups" Frank raised his hand. "What is it?" I asked. "What kind of training are we going to do then if all of us are good fighters?". I smiled under the hood. "Good question. I am mostly going to be teaching you how to fully utilise your powers when fighting so that you can gain an edge in the upcoming war". Annabeth spoke up next. "We have heard how there is some new big threat but we haven't even been told the prophecy or who this threat is". I looked around at their faces and those who knew looked solemn. "You wish to know? Do you really think that knowing will help you?". The look in her eyes was defiant. I sighed. "Fine". Annabeth smiled. "Ok then, let's find Rachel then-". "There is no need" I cut her off. "I know the prophecy and most of the meaning behind it". Annabeth looked shocked. "How? No one apart from Chiron and Rachel know anything substantial and even then they say their knowledge is patchy". "I was there when Apollo spoke the prophecy for the first time" I replied nonchalantly. Annabeth was stunned. "The prophecy was spoken by Apollo himself? Isn't it usually spoken by one of his oracles?". "Yes but this time the threat was large enough for it to go through Apollo. I'll remind you of the prophecy now.

 _The oldest threats shall rise and start the war,_

 _Olympus and it's children are considered a chore,_

 _But a broken guardian will stand tall,_

 _To prevent the gods and the world's fall,_

 _The camps and hunt shall stand as one,_

 _But in the end the hero is gone"_

Annabeth seemed to be deep in thought so I decided to just continue. "You can consider this later but right now we need to continue with your training" Clarisse stepped up. "What are we going to do then?" I smiled. "You are all going to fight me". They all looked shocked and Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that is a good idea?" Artemis said. "We don't want to have any serious injuries" I smiled under the hood again. "True, which is why I am going to set us up a special battlefield" as I said this I snapped my fingers and we were all suddenly standing in a barren, rocky plain that stretched as far as the eye could see and a black sky filled with stars.

Everyone looked around and looked very confused. "What is this place?" asked Artemis. "This is a special place that I can create with my magic and time manipulation, a place where no matter what injuries befall you, Thanatos cannot claim your soul". They all stared blankly at me. I sighed. "Looks like you need a demonstration then" I held out my hand and fotiá appeared in a flash of light inside an imperial gold sheath. I drew fotiá and let the sheath vanish. "What are you-" this was Thalia before I cut her off by lunging forward and impaling her through the heart.

 **Artemis POV:**

I had no clue what Percy was talking about with regards to the battlefield until he suddenly impaled Thalia. I stood there shocked and couldn't even react as he removed the sword and Thalia just crumpled. Jason was the first to react as he started to spark. "What the fuck did you just do to my sister?". Percy seemed entirely unconcerned. "Just wait a moment and you will see" just as he said this Thalia gasped and sat up and there was no trace of anything ever having happened. No sword wound, no ichor and no torn clothes.

Thalia looked wide eyed at Percy as did everyone else. "Like I said. In this place, you can't die so you can fight with your life on the line" Percy said. "Now, come at me. All of you". I raised an eyebrow at this. "Are you including me in this?" I asked and Percy shook his head. "No, I'll fight you afterwards otherwise I would lose very quickly". All the new gods summoned their weapons and they had a determined look in their eyes. I smiled and stepped out of the way as they all charged.

After what felt like hours Percy called the fighting to a halt and everyone collapsed. "That wasn't bad for your first training session, you all did brilliantly". He said. Clarisse shot his a withering look. "Brilliantly? We could barely touch you!". Percy smiled. "True but how many times did you guys die?" I thought about this for a minute. During all of the fight I had only seen one or two of them fall to the ground so it can't have been that many. "Five times" Thalia said. "You got Piper twice, Annabeth once, Phoebe once and Jason once. Five times in total". Percy looked like he was going to say something but then suddenly stiffened. "What is it?" I asked. "I don't know but I suddenly can't feel the presence of the clones I split into" he said. I frowned. "That's odd, you should always be able to feel them in the back of your mind as long as they are still present". "I know" he said. "Which is why I'm worried". He clicked his fingers again and the strange battlefield faded to reveal the familiar scenery of the camp Half-Blood arena.

Once the scenery had returned I looked around but couldn't see anything. I looked over to see Percy tense. "What is it?" I asked. "What can you hear?" he asked. I listened for a minute. "Nothing, why?". He looked over at me and I saw worry in his eyes. "Exactly. The others should still be training or at least milling about. Why is it so quiet?". I understood immediately and masked my presence as best I could and turned to the new immortals behind me. "All of you, hide your presence as best as you can. We think that there might be enemies within the camp" They nodded as I turned back to Percy who had climbed out of the arena slightly and was looking towards the dining pavilion. I walked up behind him. "How many?" I asked. "At least one hundred monsters, a few laestrygonians and one Titan I can see. No giants". That was a positive at least. "Which Titan?". Percy shook his head. "I don't know, I haven't seen this one before".

Before I could say anything else I heard a voice bellow. "I know you're here 'Guardian', come out before I start killing people!". That voice held no trace of deceit or apprehension. I turned to Percy. "What are you going to do?". "Give him what he wants, there is no question of whether he would kill them so I can't risk it"

He said and then stood up and calmly walked out of the arena.

 **Percy POV:**

As I walked forward I considered my options. It would be foolish to attempt a sneak attack because the demigods were surrounded so it was impossible to free them all and stop the monsters and titan at the same time. Freezing them all in time also wasn't an option, it would drain too much energy. The only option was a full out fight. The titan saw me and laughed. "Looks like you were smart enough not to try a sneak attack at least" this titan looked very much like the others I had encountered tall and well built but something about this one seemed… Dangerous. I had been in many dangerous situations before but something about being near this guy screamed out to me that I should run. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "Who are you?" I asked and he laughed. "I'm offended, I am one of your namesakes, how can you not know me". Damn. The only Titan I could think that could possibly be called my namesake was Perses, titan of destruction. This was not going to be easy.

Perses settled into an odd fighting stance that I hadn't seen before and no weapon appeared in his hands. "Come then little 'Guardian'. We shall test your worth". I scowled and summoned the katana that had once belonged to Kronos. I charged forward and swung, aiming to take his head in one swipe but he moved incredibly fast for his size and moved then grabbed my sword. The next few events happened in what felt like slow motion. What looked like red lighting crackled over his hand and over my sword and the blade started cracking. The cracks spread all over the blade and hilt before it shattered releasing a shockwave of energy.

I stumbled backwards only to be met by a punch to the chest. I felt at least three ribs crack from the force alone and then I felt an agonising pain in my lungs and I felt myself cough up a bunch of Ichor. I collapsed to the ground struggling to breath as Perses laughed. "How do you like it 'Guardian'? My power of destruction which has been augmented by Tartarus can destroy anything be it a weapon of power or internal organs. It could even destroy you entirely but that would be too kind. I have someone else who can carry out your suspended sentence". Suspended sentence? What the hell was he talking about? I could only just form coherent thoughts at this point and couldn't move as I felt a new presence appear that felt oddly familiar.

I looked up and saw Mnemosyne standing there with an evil smirk. "Hello there Percy, I'm sorry but I going to have you die here and it is going to be the worst thing you have ever experienced". As she said this she placed her hand on my head and I was flung into my memories. I was standing on the beach watching the moment when Annabeth kissed the bastard Ryan. I watched as the scene unfolded and continued as if I had never been there and it twisted into a scene I found myself unable to move away from. Annabeth and Ryan had stripped down and were having sex on the beach. I was unable to turn away as I watched a girl I had once loved give herself to another person. I heard Annabeth moan. "Oh gods Ryan, I can't believe how good this is!". I felt tears and rage build up as the scene faded to black and then I was back in my mums old apartment.

I was stood in a corner watching as the door was busted open and dracena slithered in. I watched as Paul tried to fight back in vain and pinned to the wall with a spear through his chest. I watched, sobbing as my mum backed up as Keli walked towards her. "Percy!" she called out and Kelli laughed. "Percy is standing right there, he is not going to help you" as she said this, my mother turned to me. "Percy please, help". Tears were streaming from my eyes as I couldn't move and was only able to watch every single agonizing moment as the lifeblood was slowly drained from my mother and I watched the light leave her eyes. Hestia appeared but instead of a kind smile it was replaced with a cold sneer. "Why should I save one pathetic demigod who can't even defend his mother, you should kill yourself so no one ever has to deal with the trouble you cause ever again". Hestia vanished and Kelli lunged at me as the scene went black.

The next scene to appear as the rage continued to burn was the underworld. It was the same situation as I had to watch Alcyoneus knock down Nico who looked directly at me. "Save me Percy, please!" and again I was left motionless as Nico was impaled and coughed Ichor. "I..I thought you were my friend Percy" Nico coughed as he crumbled into dust. I screamed in rage and anguish as the scene changed. To the Pit again and a scene I couldn't forget. In front of me was Zoё and Bianca and the Titans having their way with them. I screamed in rage and anguish again as I had to watch them being raped again for what felt like an eternity all the while listening to their pleas to help them, to end their suffering. I let out an even larger scream as the scene changed to a hillside with a large stone with engravings. The sobs just kept racking my chest. Why? Why were they making me suffer this? I had suffered enough I had no need to re-live it. I looked up at the stone and this scene pushed me over the edge. It was the same stone that Phoebe had set up with the same engraving. _Here lies the parents of Percy Jackson. Dead because of him._ I screamed as hard as possible, pain, anguish and rage filling my voice and I felt the memory illusion shatter and I was back on the hill and I felt my power overflowing. I looked up at the two grinning faces of the titans that had done this to me. "My turn" I growled and stood up.

 **Third Person POV:**

While Percy had been mentally tortured by the titans, Artemis and the others had snuck around through the forest behind the monsters. They had all heard the screams but knew they could only wait. They emerged just outside of the forest to see Percy be suddenly be engulfed by a massive aura of power and slowly stand up. As he stood up Perses lunged forward and landed a punch in Percy's chest. Red lightning crackled but served no purpose other than blowing away Percy's coat, revealing his identity to the shocked campers. Annabeth gasped from beside Artemis and put her hand over her mouth. "Percy…" she muttered. Percy also looked different than he normally did. His normally black and untameable hair had turned into a startling white but it was still all over the place. Perses grabbed Mnemosyne and vanished but not before yelling one last command to the monsters. "Attack"

All the monsters surged forwards towards Percy, leaving the captured demigods alone. Percy stretched his bronze arm out and his aura seemed to turn into a whirlpool as it thrashed, twisted and turned around his hand. Artemis took this chance and yelled to the others. "Free the campers!". Thalia looked worried. "What about Percy?" she asked. "He can take care of himself for now, our priority is freeing the campers". As she said this one of the drakons was sent backwards into some of the monsters, crushing them and giving everyone another look at Percy. Percy was still glowing but now he held a new scythe in his hand which was vastly different from his original one. The handle was much better designed to fit his hand and seemed to be made of stygian iron with imperial gold inlay flowing like sand while the blade was a bright silver. The aura of power was still extremely prominent around him but it seemed more restrained than before. The remaining monsters stood up and charged towards him, aiming to kill him even though it was clear they were at a major disadvantage. Percy leisurely held up the scythe and swung. All the monsters instantly vanished. I blinked a few times and saw golden dust floating down. He had destroyed all the monsters in a single swing including the three drakons. Just how powerful had he become?

Before Anyone could react, Perses appeared again but this time he was wearing full armour and holding a giant battle axe which was made of some odd metal that seemed to take in all light around it. He charged forward and swung at Percy, red lightning surrounding the axe. Percy quickly dodged out of the way and the axe slammed into the ground, causing a tremor throughout the camp. He swung the scythe at Perses but he moved impossibly fast and blocked the blade with his axe. He laughed, "You can't possibly hope to match me. You are ten-thousand years to early!". As he said this he swung the axe, throwing Percy's scythe out of the way and lunged forward again. Percy's eyes glowed gold for a moment as he became a blur and dodged out of the way. He stopped and swung the scythe into the ground, abandoning it which surprised everyone. Perses laughed again. "You really think you can beat me without a weapon? You really are a fool!" and he lunged forward again, swinging his axe as he did so.

 **Percy POV:**

As Perses lunged forward again time seemed to be standing still. " _So you noticed then"_ Archer spoke in my mind. "Yes, if I had continued using the scythe he would have destroyed it like he did the katana". I didn't know what I thought I would achieve without a weapon but I knew I had to try. " _Maybe I can help you out"_ Archer spoke again and I felt magic course through my system. I recognised this as the same type as when I had created that sword against Ryan.

" _This is my power, the power to create any blade you have seen out of pure magic. Projection"._ I smiled. "Let's test this out then". Archer chuckled. " _Hold an image of the blade you wish to create in your mind and use your magic to create it"_. I closed my eyes and focused on an old medieval style sword as it seemed simple to create. I felt the familiar weight in my hand and looked down to see a celestial bronze longsword sitting in my hand. I grinned and looked up to see the axe nearing my neck. "Let's go" I said and dashed forward.

 **Artemis POV:**

Percy had to have gone crazy when he threw the scythe away. He may be powerful but if he had no weapon I had no doubt how the fight would turn out. I watched as Perses swung his axe but just as I was sure the axe was going to decapitate Percy he was suddenly a blur and swung with what appeared to be a medieval long sword made of celestial bronze forcing Perses to step back to avoid being hit. "What the hell is this?" Perses exclaimed. "How can you create weapons like that?!". Percy just smirked and replied with all of the sarcasm that he once had possessed. "Magic" he said and promptly vanished. Perses was suddenly sent sprawling forward while Percy was standing where he had been moments before. _That speed was faster than even we could follow_. _It's incredible._ Diana spoke up in my mind again and I had to agree. I knew that some gods could be fast but this was beyond what most were capable of.

 _I wonder if he is using the same idea as before._ Diana said again. I was confused for a moment but then remembered when Percy had explained how he was able to catch Phoebe's dagger when they were sparring.

 _-Flashback-_

Percy was finishing up his training for the day by sparring with Thalia. All the other hunters were sat around and were watching with interest. They were both matching each other pretty well until Percy suddenly seemed to move impossibly fast and disarmed her with his sword to her throat. "I yield" she said and he immediately took the sword away. Thalia stood there and rubbed her neck. "You never explained just how you did that trick by the way. It's getting annoying not being able to counter it". Percy looked surprised at this. "Sorry, I guess I forgot" he looked around and motioned for the hunters to join him. They all stood up, muttering slightly, and walked to join him.

"The technique I am using is known as mana burst" Percy said. "It involves releasing your energy in a single, short burst. It can easily up your speed or attack power but if used at the wrong time or not controlled properly could end up causing severe damage to your muscles" Thalia frowned. "You make it sound easy to perform. Somehow I doubt it is" she said and he smiled. "No, this technique is most certainly not easy and it is not one I really want to teach you if possible as I damaged my arms and legs a few times before perfecting it. The only reason that I didn't ruin my muscles was because of the power of the hearth and even then there is a clear difference between using it in practice and using it in a real fight".

He then turned to face me. "It is your call in the end and I know I did originally say I could teach it them but I think it is unwise. I considered this and could see both sides of the argument. On one hand it would be good to have another technique up our sleeves but on the other it was a dangerous technique that could backfire. "Alright then. I'll side with your judgement here, don't teach the hunters if you feel it poses too much of a risk". Percy nodded but suddenly had a far away look on his face. "What is it?" I asked and he looked at me. "This concept works well for demigods but they tire out quickly because of their limited divine energy. I wonder what would happen if a god were to use this?" my eyes widened at the thought.

 _-Flashback end-_

Well I guess we got our answer about what happens I remarked in my mind and felt Diana smile. _I want to meet him properly even more now. I hope you didn't forget our promise._ I hesitated. I hadn't but the thought made me nervous.

The only warning I got was an instinct suddenly screaming at me to dodge and a half shout from one of the immortals. "Look o-" I didn't hear the rest of the sentence as I was grabbed by Mnemosyne and everything went silent. "Stand down Guardian!" she yelled and both Perses and Percy froze mid-swing and turned to face us. I was painfully aware of the knife at my throat but I remained calm and simply observed what happened next. "You will surrender and come with us or I will slit her throat which will leave her in the clutches of our master. You wouldn't want that to happen to your precious girlfriend would you?". The whole camp remained deathly silent.

"Excuse me?" Percy replied. There was not a single detectable emotion in his voice. "You heard what I said!" roared Mnemosyne. "Surrender or yo-" she was cut off by Percy laughing. "I heard you but you really think that the Maiden goddess Artemis, renowned hater of men would ever lower herself to a level where she was in a relationship with a male? You are a vlákas". I felt Mnemosyne's grip loosen. "What? But I looked through your memories!". Percy shrugged. "Memories can be faked". Mnemosyne snarled. "Fine but you still wouldn't like her to end up in our masters hands so surrender. Unless you intend to rescue her?". Percy smiled again. "Just who do you think you have captured? Lady Artemis, goddess of the hunt. An olympian. She doesn't need any help from me". Mnemosyne's grip loosened just a little more and I made my move. I threw my arms up and knocked the knife out of the way then struck Mnemosyne in the temple. Usually this wouldn't have much of an impact on a titan but she was confused so it effectively knocked her out.

Percy turned back to face Perses. "Shall we continue?" he asked. Determination lacing his every word. Perses laughed and was about to answer when another laugh spread throughout the camp. "No Perseus Jackson. Now, you will be fighting me". The voice chilled me to my very core. There was only one person it could belong to. My suspicions were confirmed when a black fog converged in front of us and a figure dressed almost identically to how Percy once did. A black, hooded trench coat with the hood up. No one dared to speak. Percy broke the silence. "So, you showed up in person huh? Didn't expect that and what's with the look? Trying to copy me?". The figure laughed that bone chilling laugh again. "Nice try but I can sense your fear. Shall I repeat what I did last time? How are the scars doing?". Percy's only response was a growl but I noticed two things: one, that percy's left hand was trembling, and two, the look on the faces of Percy's friends. They knew who this was.

Percy suddenly vanished and the next moment left a sense of shock running through the camp. Percy had appeared above the figure and swung but a pure black katana materialised in the figures hand and blocked the swing. What's more is that the sword in Percy's hand shattered and he was blown backwards several feet. The difference in power was clear. "It seems like you still do not have enough motivation to fight me yet. Perhaps I should eliminate those 'hunters' you hold so dear. Maybe then your revenge might drive you to actually become amusing to me". The statement could have been seen as an empty threat but I could tell. This was no mere threat. This was a statement. A statement that if he wanted to he could have wiped us all out in an instant.

The figure laughed again. "I think I will be nice to you for a change. I will not attack you in full force. Not until the final fight. Why don't we have it on a nostalgic day for you? I will come and invade this city. I will come and reduce all of you to rubble and ruin. The gods, and this world, will fall. I will give you until your next birthday. Then we shall see who is stronger. Goodbye, 'Guardian'. When we next meet I will carry out, how dd Perses phrase it?, your suspended sentence. You attacked and actually managed to wound me last time. For that I will personally rip your essence appart, over and over for all eternity until nothing is left. Goodbye. We will meet again" and with that, they all vanished. The figure, Perses and Mnemosyne. Leaving only a defeated Percy on his knees. Before anyone could move he let out a long, pain filled howl and fell forward so he was now on all fours. Crying.

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 **A/N- Well, that chapter took much longer than anticipated to finish. Not an upload in 7 months? Not exactly what I was aiming for. I am very sorry for making you guys wait but I just did not have the time or drive to write but now I should upload at least within the next 2 months as I have more free time. I really hope that the chapter was worth the wait. As always please review and help contribute to improving the story. Thank you guys for waiting this long. I hope to make this story worth it. There is so much more I wish to include in this story before it is through. It has already been 2 years at the time of writing since I first started this story and I can guarantee at least another year before this first one is finished. Hope you all stick around to see this through. See you in the next chapter - Nightshade Guardian**


	23. Chapter 23: Lunar revalations

**A/N: Hey guys, hope you all enjoyed the last chapter given how long you had to wait for it. Like I said there should be an increase in the number of uploads now but I can't promise anything frequent or consistent. So I guess I will just have to try and create some longer and better chapters for you. Hope you enjoy - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Third Person POV:**

After Percy had collapsed Artemis had walked over and whispered something in his ear. He had stopped crying soon after and she had quietly flashed him elsewhere. Predictably the entire camp was in a shocked silence. They had just watched the mysterious guardian of the hunt go toe to toe with the Titan of destruction _and_ the Titan of memory and seemingly hold his own. Another big shock was when his coat was blown away revealing him to be Percy Jackson. The campers had never forgotten what had happened with Percy and had never got over their guilt. They always held out hope that one day he might come back. Come back to his home.

Annabeth was the first one to break the silence by walking over to Thalia, who was still checking on the hunt to make sure no one was injured, with a mix of anger and disbelief.

"Percy is the guardian of the hunt?" her voice was a mix between anger and confusion.

"Why didn't you tell us anything? Why not tell us he was back?" tears were starting to run down her face now and Thalia looked back at her with no signs of any emotion in her eyes.

"It was up to him as to whether or not he revealed who he was or told you that he was no longer running". The choice of words confused annabeth slightly but she shook her head.

"I'm going to go see that damn seaweed brain now. We will finish this talk later". She started to walk towards the Artemis cabin, assuming that was where Percy had been flashed, before she was stopped by a silver arrow imbedding itself at her feet. She looked up to find that it had come from the most unexpected source. Phoebe.

"You will not be going anywhere near our guardian, girl" the sneer was all but blatant in her voice. Annabeth was surprised to say the least.

"I'm sorry? I don't think I heard you. Did you just tell me I couldn't go and see my own boyfriend?". Before Phoebe could say anything else more silver arrows appeared at Annabeth's feet courtesy of two figures on top of the Artemis cabin.

"Do not presume to call our guardian your boyfriend after what you did girl. I would be surprised if he ever developed an interest in relationships again" the voice was cold and there was a thinly veiled layer of hatred in it. Annabeth looked up at two figures stood with bows at the ready on top of the artemis cabin.

 **Artemis POV:**

It broke my heart to see the man I loved crying like that but I knew that he couldn't stay here. If he did the campers wouldn't leave him alone. I walked over to him and whispered in his ear.

"Please Percy, be strong just for now. Please. Don't fall now. Stand strong for me" I hoped that I didn't sound harsh with my words but I couldn't think of anyway else to phrase it but they seemed to have the intended effect as he stopped crying but still looked defeated.

"Come on. Let's get you out of here" I whispered and flashed us into my cabin. I felt that as soon as we were in the cabin he had passed out. I smiled sadly and picked him up then placed him on the big bed in the back of the cabin. I sat there and watched him for a while. He seemed so much more at peace when sleeping as all the tension that was usually around his eyes and shoulders was gone allowing him to look more like the young adult he was. It was easy to forget that with all that had happened he was only about twenty three. The fates really had played with his life so much.

I was thinking so much I didn't notice Zoë flash into the cabin.

"How is he milady?" she asked causing me to jump slightly.

"Zoë! please don't make me jump like that" I said as I turned to face her and saw the grin on her face.

"In response to your question I don't know. He must have used a lot of energy fighting Perses and I don't know how he is going to feel after that exchange with _him_ ". Zoë came forward and embraced me in a light hug.

"It will be ok milady. He is the strongest person I know and he will make it through this" as she said this I heard a commotion outside the cabin and frowned.

"Lets go have a look at what is going on then shall we?" I asked as Zoë released me and she nodded as we both flashed to the roof of the cabin.

The first thing we heard was Annabeth.

"Did you just say I couldn't go and see my own boyfriend?" I almost killed her right then and there for that comment but I just decided to scare her by firing a volley of arrows at her feet as Zoë did the same. Annabeth froze and looked up towards us.

"Do not presume to call our guardian your boyfriend after what you did girl. I would be surprised if he ever developed an interest in relationships again" I said with a very clear layer of hatred in my voice. I jumped down to meet the new immortal.

"You are the one person who should never presume to call Perseus anything along the lines of being your friend ever again. You, who knew about his fatal flaw and yet still decided he would cheat on you. You, who knew that he fell into the depths of Tartarus for your sake. You, who was the one, irreplaceable person in his life and yet still fell to the persuasion of an arrogant, egotistical demigod who couldn't take not being at the top" I was furious and could feel myself glowing. I knew that I could well end up revealing my true form here at this rate but I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. I glared at Annabeth and spoke in a tone that I hoped would convey the seriousness of my words.

"If you so much as look in my guardians direction again you will not live to regret it. We will make sure of that" the threat hung in the air as the whole hunt and camp watched the exchange with morbid fascination as I began to walk back towards the cabin.

The next words that I heard her speak almost made me lose all control.

"So it seems like the maiden goddess of the hunt has decided to forget her oath huh?". The entire camp was like a graveyard, deathly silent and still as I turned around with anger in my usually calm and collected eyes.

"How dare you! Remember your place wisdom spawn _._ You are only a minor goddess so do not presume that I will allow you to walk away after the disrespect you have shown to me, an olympian, and my hunt." I began speaking in the same language that we had used when we had made the seven immortals before Zoë held out her hand and stopped me.

"Milady. As much as I would enjoy the jackalope population gaining a new immortal member we do still need her for the upcoming war so we sadly cannot permanently injure her". Quick as a flash Zoë sent Annabeth flying backwards with a surprise punch to the stomach.

"If you presume to come near Percy again then no one will be able to stop the hunts wrath descending on you. Be careful _girl_ " the last word was filled with venom and I had to suppress a smile at how she treated her. I signaled to the hunt and we all headed back into the cabin.

When we all filtered in the hunt tried to all fit around Percy's bed with varying levels of success. They were all very quiet until Adriana, one of the newer hunters to join but still older than some of the others, spoke up.

"Why does he bear so many scars? And what happened to his arm?". I could feel the emotions catch in my throat when I remembered all the experiences he had been through already.  
"Girls, while most of you have a general idea of what our guardian has been through very few of you know the exact details of what unfolded here at camp and what Perseus here had to endure through the three years in which he vanished. It is not a pleasant story but you deserve to know". I then began to recount the story from the beginning about the arrival of Ryan and how he turned the camp against him.

Once I had finished this part the hunters who didn't know what had happened before looked at Percy with looks of sympathy. Phoebe was the first one to speak up.

"He went through all of that and just left? I think I speak for most of us here in saying that we probably would have done worse than that" most of the hunters, except Amy and Lisa who were too young to properly understand, nodded in agreement.

"Why do I feel like his bad luck is nowhere near done yet?" asked Amy and we all looked at her in confusion. She looked a little unsure of herself but continued.

"As a daughter of Nemesis I can sense when things are not in balance and I get such a strong sense of imbalance in Percy's experiences". To say I was surprised was a bit of an understatement. When had she started to use her powers? I sighed.

"Unfortunately Amy is right" I said "His bad luck is only just beginning".

I then went on to explain how he had left camp to find his mother and step-father dead on the orders of Gaia because she had managed to be defeated by the hero's of the prophecy. Percy was just unlucky enough to have been one of the targets of her revenge which led me to wondering what had happened to the families of the other hero's or at least, those who still had family left.

When I had finished this part there were a few tears in the eyes of some of the hunters. Surprisingly Phoebe was one of them which was possibly the first time I had seen her cry since the death of Zoë and the first time ever I have seen any one of my hunters, except Thalia, cry over a male.

"He endured all of this?" I heard Phoebe ask quietly and I nodded.

"Yes he did. But if it wasn't for Hestia I doubt he would be here today" at this all of the hunters, with the exception of Zoë, Bianca, Thalia and Reyna, looked shocked.

"What do you mean by that milady?" asked Atlanta. Before I could say anything Thalia spoke up.

"He planned to kill himself" she said simply. "He felt he had nothing left. He lost his home and all the friends he had made had abandoned him. For him, that was too much to take"

The hunt was left in a state of stunned silence as the took in this information. As they did I looked over them. I hadn't noticed it because we had been so busy in the last few years but the hunt had grown considerably since the end of the giant war. We were approaching thirty girls and while some of them were too young to really do much in combat other than support it was still the largest it had been since the titan war.

 _It has been a very long time since we have been at this level of power_. Diana spoke up in my mind and I had to stop myself from jumping.

What do you mean? I asked.

 _The hunters are effectively the representation of our domains, well, mostly your domains but still. The more hunters we have the stronger we will be._ What she said was true in a sense. The hunters were my followers so the more there were the more of a gain I would get from the hunt.

"Milady?" Phoebe brought me back from my thoughts.

"Yes? What is it Phoebe?" I asked.

"You still haven't explained the main questions we asked. How did he get his scars and that arm?". I sighed once more.

"I can't tell you too much about his scars as it is even less of a pleasant story by any means and I would not like you all to have to hear what he experienced but I will say this. He was tortured. He was tortured for a very long time by the very threat we face which is where the scars come from" Phoebe's eyes widened at this.

"He was tortured down there?" her face looked almost comically pale as did some of the other hunters as they realised the implication of those words.

"Gods save him. I can see why he was referred to as a broken guardian in the prophecy. Is that also where the arm came from?" she asked and I shook my head.

"No. The arm is much more recent. He lost his arm protecting us. He lost it to Gration". If it was possible the hunters eyes widened even more and some just broke down crying.

"Why did he never tell us?" asked Lia, a daughter of Demeter. Zoë spoke up next.

"Because he probably felt that if we knew that we would feel like we would owe him some sort of debt and he would not want that" all of the hunters were very silent for a while before Thalia spoke up again.

"Right girls, I don't know about all of you but I don't think that our guardian here would want us to mope about just because he is like this. I say we get back to our training and show these campers how its done!" at this the solemn looks were all replaced by determination and grins.

"Perhaps now I can give this new bow a try" Zoë said holding up said bow. I smiled at that knowing how much she had probably missed being able to shoot a bow since she had come back and we had not had a chance to practice with all the events that had been going on recently.

"I should probably go and inform the council about what happened here today. They will be able to plan ahead then but for now you girls have free reign to practice or whatever. Just make sure you don't do anything too permanent" they all laughed at this and started to head out to the archery range. Once they had all left I gave percy a soft kiss.

"I'll see you later ok?" I hadn't realised until now just how much seeing Percy like this worried me. I flashed away to olympus before I got too caught up in my emotions.

 **Percy POV:**

The last thing I remembered was falling asleep in Artemis' arms but when I opened my eyes I was in the barren world filled with swords once again. I looked around to see Archer sat on a mound with Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands.

"I see you are here again" archer said with what sounded like sympathy or regret in his voice.

"Yea. Seems that we underestimated them quite a bit" I said and Archer nodded and stood up.

"This is partially why you're here at the moment. If you are going to win then we are going to need to teach you how to properly use your powers". I frowned slightly at this.

"We?" I asked before a cold wind blew out from nowhere until it coalesced and formed into a figure wearing clothing identical to my original outfit but in pure blue.

"Did you really forget about me?" Invel asked and I smirked.

"No but I thought you had decided to remain the little voice in my head" Invel let out a cold laugh at this.

"Normally I would, as you put it, stay as the voice in your head but, as Archer said, we need to teach you how to use your powers properly rather than you just relying on instincts and burning yourself up".

"How are you guys going to do that then?" I asked and almost instantly regretted it at the laugh Invel gave off.

"Simple" Archer replied as he stood up "We are going to effectively pound the techniques into your spirit.".

"Simply put, we will push you into using the powers properly in a combat situation until it becomes second nature to you. Hope you are ready for this" Invel added before forming two ice swords. I sighed.

"Well, no time like the present" I remarked and settled into a stance. "Ready when you are" I said and they charged.

 **Third Person POV:**

Artemis flashed into the throne room on olympus expecting it to be empty but was surprised to see Hera sat on her throne.

"Hello Hera, I didn't know you were here" she said and Hera looked up.

"I don't have many other places to go you know. My domains do not require constant attention nor do I have many demigods to keep track of" Artemis nodded at this.

"I suppose I hadn't thought about it like that. Explains why I don't see you anywhere while travelling through the mortal world" she said and Hera smiled.

"As much as I am enjoying our small talk Artemis I doubt that was the reason you came here" Artemis shook her head.

"No, I came to call a council meeting. Speaking of" Artemis said and her bow appeared in her hand and she shot an arrow into the sky which exploded into a shower of silver sparks and then she walked over and sat upon her throne to wait.

All the other gods began to flash in after a few minutes. Apollo appeared in a flash of golden sunlight. _Flashy as always_ thought Artemis. Zeus appeared in a large bolt of lighting along with Hermes and Demeter who flashed in without any special entrance. Aphrodite came in accompanied by Ares and a a sickly rose smell. _No prizes for guessing what they were doing then_ she thought again with a mild amount of distaste. Dionysus was next along with Athena both just flashing in onto their thrones without the theatrics. Hephaestus and Poseidon were the last two to arrive appearing in a flash of flames and water respectively.

"Now that everyone is here would you please explain why you called this meeting Artemis?" asked Zeus once everyone had settled into their thrones.

"I called this meeting as there was an attack on camp earlier today by Perses and Mnemosyne" the council was understandably worried at this and all started rapid fire questioning Artemis until Zeus spoke up.

"ENOUGH! I'm sure that Artemis will explain the whole situation once we all quiet down and listen" everyone looked a little ashamed of their behaviour and quieted down and waited for Artemis to continue.

"As I was saying, Perses and Mnemosyne attacked the camp and took all the campers hostage. They are all unharmed their only motive was to challenge Perseus it seems" Zeus frowned at this and Poseidon looked understandably worried.

"They specifically targeted Percy? This is worrying" Poseidon remarked.

"You said Mnemosyne was there? That seems odd considering she was never much of a fighter" Artemis nodded

"Yes. While she may not be a fighter she could do something. I don't know what she did but I have no delusions that it was pleasant." Posedion shifted about restlessly while Artemis continued.

"All the campers had been captured and Perses specifically called out for the guardian of the hunt to face him otherwise the hostages would die. He, of course, went up to face Perses alone while I and the new immortals that he was training crept through the woods to rescue the hostages" the council nodded at this recognising it as a good tactic especially since they had not come up against Perses before.

"The first indication of a problem was when Perseus began screaming. I don't know what happened all I saw was the aftermath. If you wish to know you can ask Perseus when he wakes up". Poseidon spoke up next.

"You said you witnessed the aftermath of Percy's screaming, what do you mean?" Artemis took a deep breath.

"When we exited the forest to rescue the hostages Percy stood up glowing with power and formed a new weapon, a scythe of multiple metals, and swung. Eliminating around one hundred monsters including three drakons in just that one swing". Every single member of the council sat there in shock. One hundred monsters was not a considerably large figure but to do it with one swing was a surprise.

"One swing you said?" Asked Zeus.

"I knew he would be strong after being turned into an immortal, he would have to be strong to fight him, but this is beyond what i expected" he seemed to be deep in thought for a while then spoke up again.

"What happened to Percy? Did he pass out again?" Artemis nodded at this.

"Yes which is what i have been finding odd. Even if he is expending lots of energy he should still retain consciousness. I can only guess that he is sub-consciously limiting himself and is breaking these limits in extreme situations. He has no fully accepted his role yet" no-one caught the slight emotion in Artemis' voice while saying it, no-one but a small goddess tending to the hearth who smiled.

Zeus turned to Athena.

"Could what Artemis is suggesting be possible? Could Percy limit himself like that?" Athena seemed to consider this for a while.

"Yes. Yes he could. If he does not consider himself as a worthy person for this prophecy or not strong enough to stand up to the threat then it could effectively stop himself exhibiting his full potential. There is not really anything we can do to change his mindset on this. Just try to convince him that he is the right person and he might be able to remove those self-imposed chains".

The rest of the meeting continued as a normal one; since Artemis had called a meeting it would be a waste to not discuss other events and happenings at the same time. Artemis did not pay full attention to all of it since most of it was trivial and didn't concern her while the other olympians showed varying degrees of alertness throughout different parts of the meeting. The last part of the meeting was where Artemis payed the most attention as it was about the roman demigod, Steven Mulloy, who had tried to impale her after she eliminated him from the capture the flag game.

"After having hypnos search his memories we found that Steven seemed to have no connections to the threat or anyone else. The sword was enchanted by a son of Hekate that did not know what he planned to do with it. The attack against Artemis was made due to his rage and pride refusing to accept his defeat. Furthermore, it is confirmed that he was the one that impaled Reyna when she was talking to him in the forest claiming that they could not win the game. His punishment will be decided after talking to Reyna and with your agreement Artemis". This was spoken by Mars as Ares had shifted aspect to talk about the roman affairs.

"This is acceptable. I am sure that an, _agreement_ can be made between us" Artemis said and most of the council, Dionysus had fallen asleep, shivered. Artemis was one goddess not many would want to make an _agreement_ with.

"If no one else has anything to add" Zeus addressed the council and received no response. "Meeting dismissed. Please take vigilance, while he has said he will not attack for another ten months months he might still send scouting parties or spies. Be vigilant" with that last bit of advice most of the gods flashed out excluding Hera who just stepped off her throne and started to walk towards her palace.

 **Artemis POV:**

I decided to flash to my moon chariot since it is not a good idea to always leave it on autopilot as I had been doing for the past few days as everything had been going down. I felt the familiar tranquility settle over me as I became much more in tune with my domains and observed the world below. I watched as all the scenery passed by. Everything seeming so peaceful and quiet, unaware of the danger that may emerge in just less than a year.

I decided to try and do something I had not done in a while, not intentionally, and tried to separate into both Artemis and Diana. Surprisingly it happened very easily and there was no sense of effort as there had been at other times. I looked over to my left and saw Diana. She looked almost identical to me in my twenty year old form except slightly taller, maybe six foot compared to my five ten and her hair was pulled back into a more refined pony tail rather than just being brushed behind the shoulders and secured with a loose tie.

"This is odd" Diana remarked. "I don't think we have talked like this for a while". I nodded in agreement with this. I had barely spoken to her since the giant war.

"I wanted to ask you about how you felt about Percy" I tentatively broached, not knowing how she would react but she just smiled.

"What is there to say? My feelings are a reflection of yours. We are two sides of the same coin" I was conflicted by this answer. On one hand it meant that I might end up sharing Percy with someone else, even if that someone else was technically myself; but on the other hand it meant that I knew that I wouldn't have Diana causing any trouble for us.

"You look confused, care to share the dark side of the moon?" Diana joked and I sent her a glare.

"I just.. I don't know what to do. This is all so new to me and I just feel insecure about all of this and you seem to be almost unfazed. I don't get it" I started shouting at her half way through the sentence as I let go of my pride and just let my raw emotions out for the first time. I awaited the laughing or backlash from my aspect. But nothing came.

"That's how you feel?" the voice that came from Diana was quiet but filled with emotion.

"You think i just found it completely natural?" her voice was still very quiet.

"You think I just went 'ok, we are in a relationship now, thats cool'? No. I didn't. I was completely thrown off by it and pretended to be ok so that it didn't cause a problem for you!" she was shouting now and I felt incredibly guilty. I never thought until today about how it must have been for her and how she had to act.

"I'm sorry" I said. "I never intended for this too happen and I guess neither of us really knew how it would work" Diana smiled back at me.

"No but i suppose that is something we will have to get used to now that we are in a relationship with the kelp head" I laughed at this.

"I suppose you are right, we will just need to give it time i suppose. Time to see what crazy stuff he will bring next" Diana smiled and then faded out of view and returned to being one person again.

After a while in silence Diana spoke up again in my head.

 _Hey, what do you think will happen when the hunters find out about us and Percy?_ This was one question I had been trying to avoid.

"I don't know" I said. "Some of them might accept it such as Zoë and Thalia but I don't know how some of them like Phoebe might react". Diana replied after a moment.

 _I think it will go better than you think. They have all come to respect and care for Percy now and even more so now that they have heard of what he has been through and what he sacrificed for them._

"What if they are not as accepting as you think they will be?"

 _Then you explain that they are free to make their own choices and may do what they please but this was your decision and it will not change._ I smiled at this and looked down from the moon chariot. Whatever was coming next for us and whatever happened with the hunters, it will most certainly be interesting.

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 **A/N: that was chapter 23, sorry about taking a bit longer than a month and the slightly shorter chapter but I would not say I am always good at writing more romancy types of chapters. The next chapter will most likely be sometime in september or october since I am away for the rest of the month and will not have any time to write. Hopefully I will be able to start incorporating more Pertemis into the next few chapters and not just repetitive action chapters. I will do my best to write up to chapter 25 before the year is out since i think that would be a nice way to end this year. I also hope you like this spacing/formatting better than my last chapters, if this is good then I will go back and re-format my old chapters so they are a tad easier to read as well as some re-writing that needs to be done. Until next time - Nightshade Guardian**


	24. Chapter 24: Some new symbols

**A/N: Hey guys, hope you all had a good summer and enjoyed the last chapter. I do not seem to get lots of reviews anymore which is not great considering if you don't review i can't add in improvements you guys suggest but you seemed to like the new format so we will continue with it. Hope you enjoy the chapter - Nightshade Guardian**

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 **Percy POV:**

I collapsed. Out of breath and completely exhausted. I had lost track of how long I had spent in this world filled with swords, fighting the two spirits that dwelled within me but now it was over. They had passed all the skills they could on to me so that I could fight on par with the threat that was approaching.

"We have taught you all we can" Invel spoke, "from now on it is up to your strength and determination to see who will win this conflict". He was right. The prophecy did not clearly state whether I would succeed in stopping him, just that in the end I would be gone. I had no doubts that this meant my death at his hand but I would fight with everything I had.

"It seems like it is time for us to take our leave now" Invel said and I sat up and watched in fascination. Invel was turning into Ice.

"I have passed on all my power to you. You have the experience to use it to maximum effect now and you will be able to use the magic and ice of the demons to face any threat. Don't you dare lose this otherwise i will find a way to come back and personally beat the shit out of you" I laughed.

"Alright then. Looks like I have no choice then, I will win." Invel laughed with the same ice cold laugh he always had.

"Goodbye Perseus" he said simply and shattered.

I watched as the tiny Ice crystals blew away in an imperceptible wind, As I did I felt a sudden cold on the inside of my forearm and gasped out in pain. I looked at it and saw a new symbol residing there in stead of the fake legion tattoos I had used to gain control over the situation when Steven had tried to cause dissent. Just below my wrist now lied what looked to be a miniature representation of a glacier.

"This demonstrates you have started to overcome the self imposed limitations on your powers" Archer said.

"The more of them you manage to remove the more symbols of your domains will appear on your arm, this one obviously relating to ice, water might have its own symbol but even I do not know what symbols will manifest regarding which of your domains." this statement interested me.

"Self imposed limitations?"

"Subconsciously you rejected the idea that you were now an immortal and limited yourself to the level of a demigod, a powerful demigod but a demigod nonetheless. In times where you were being overwhelmed or facing opponents the limits you had would not allow you to defeat your power would unconsciously exceed your limits to ensure your survival but afterwards the shear strain it would put on you due to your psyche believing you shouldn't have this power would cause you to collapse leading to you ending up here".

I thought about this for a moment. It certainly made sense as to why I felt that I should have been at least slightly more powerful when I fought the demon and Perses. Had I really been holding myself back? Yes. I had. I had nearly let the hunt come to harm due to my own idiocy. I growled. I would not let them come to anymore harm because of me.

I felt multiple burning sensations over my arm and torso. A white hot heat on my shoulder blade, the middle of my forearm, on top of my wrist, over my heart, just above my elbow and on my bicep. The only sensation that was different was the feeling of an ice cold spike being driven through the right side of my chest. Once the sensations had died down I looked at the new symbols that I could.

The symbol in the middle of my forearm was a simple hourglass figure obviously representing time. The symbol on top of my wrist was a small pentagram which I gathered must represent my control over magic. The symbol above my elbow appeared to be a single wave which must represent some kind of water domain, probably gained from Oceanus and the symbol on my bicep appeared to be a helmet which left me wondering what domain it may belong to. I could not currently see the other three symbols but I felt that they each connected to a vastly different part of my domains.

"Seems like you have removed them. Congratulations. Even I did not expect you to remove them all so soon but a word of advice, do not become overconfident just because you have achieved your full strength. There are still many opponents out there that we do not know about"

I nodded.

"Thanks for the warning" I said and the world began to fade as I felt myself waking up.

 **Annabeth POV:**

It had been nearly two days since Percy had collapsed and, while I was still angry, I had had time to reflect upon my words and actions when I had confronted Artemis. It had been a large mistake to insult her and her hunt like that but something about seeing them acting all friendly with Percy and the fact they had known about Percy for however long and not told us had irritated. I knew that I had to apologise to her but I just didn't want to.

I headed over to the Artemis cabin since that was one of the most likely places for the goddess to be, that or the archery range. I approached the door then knocked and waited but I didn't hear any response so I opened the door. Percy was standing in the middle of the room with his back to me and was just putting on his coat. He turned around then saw me standing at the door and froze for a second and then addressed me in a monotone voice.

"Hello Annabeth" he said and I held back a sob. This voice carried no sense of warmth or endearment. It sounded like the voice of a warrior on the battlefield.

"Percy, I -" I choked. I just didn't know what to say.

"If you have something to say then say it. I don't have much time to be standing around" I looked up into his eyes for the first time and gasped. His eyes were now completely one colour, they looked like a mix of sea-green and silver. They looked like a god's eyes.

"Percy, your eyes are…" I couldn't even finish my sentence.

"I know but unless you have something else to say i need to leave" he began to walk out of the door but I grabbed his arm.

"Percy, about what happened with Ryan I -" he cut me off.

"There is nothing to talk about Annabeth. You allowed yourself to be influenced by his words and became poisoned against me. You ruined our relationship and there is no going back. Goodbye Annabeth" after saying this he walked past me without even a second glance as he, presumably, walked towards the archery range.

I collapsed down onto my knees clutching my chest, tears falling freely. I had held out hope that maybe he would forgive me and that we could make things work again but this was like having my heart ripped out. Had I caused the same thing to happen to Percy? I understood now why he had left. If it hurt this much for me I couldn't begin to imagine how much it had hurt him whose fatal flaw was loyalty.

 **Percy POV:**

When I woke up there was no-one about and I was lying down on the large bed at the back of the cabin with my clothes folded on a chair nearby. I got up and went to the bathroom to wash my face when I noticed my eyes. They were no longer sea green with multiple other colours in the iris but a monochromatic ocean silver colour like the sun shining off of a wave. I got dressed, slipped on my coat and turned around to see Annabeth standing in the doorway. I didn't move for a second before speaking.

"Hello Annabeth" trying to keep my voice flat so it didn't betray my emotions.

"Percy, I -" she started before her voice caught in her throat. I wasn't sure what to say but I knew that if I kept standing here it wouldn't end very well.

"If you have something to say then say it. I don't have much time to be standing around" I disliked how harsh that sounded but I knew I couldn't allow myself to show emotion; those scars had not yet healed

Annabeth looked up and gasped.

"Percy, your eyes are…" I didn't want her to finish that so I interrupted.

"Yes I know but unless you have something else to say i need to leave"

I began to walk out of the door but she grabbed my arm.

"Percy, about what happened with Ryan I -"

I clenched my teeth at this and cut her off.

"There is nothing to talk about annabeth. You allowed yourself to be influenced by his words and became poisoned against me. You ruined our relationship and there is no going back. Goodbye Annabeth"

after saying this I walked straight past her without looking back and held back my anger and walked towards the archery range.

 **Artemis POV:**

I was having the hunters run through some of their more dynamic shooting drills while Thalia and some of the other immortals were off in the arena trying to get more acquainted with their powers and integrate them more into their normal fighting style when I felt another presence walking towards us. I turned around to see Percy walking towards me.

"Hey Artemis" he said casually as he walked up. I shook my head.

"Really? It's been two days and all you can say is 'hey'? You are insufferable sometimes" Percy laughed at this attracting the attention of the hunters.

"Percy!" Amy yelled happily and ran up to him then jumped into his arms causing his grin to widen.

"Hey Amy, you been training with your sisters again?" he asked her and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep. It's really fun and Thalia says that I am a better archer than you already" that drew another laugh from him.

"She is probably right, I am not the best of archers to say the least" I couldn't help but laugh at this causing him to give me a sideways glance.

"Is something funny oh Lady of the moon and hunt?" he asked, the mirth quite evident in his voice and I nearly laughed again.

"I think you are putting your archery skills, or lack thereof, quite lightly" I watched as he feigned injury.

"How dare you! I will have you know I can actually shoot in a straight line now!" everyone was silent for a moment before simultaneously bursting out into laughter.

"All jokes aside Percy, how are you doing?" I asked as he straightened up and stopped laughing.

"I am doing alright" he replied as he stretched out.

"Could use a sparring session though just to loosen up a bit" I nodded.

"Alright, we can head to the arena then" I replied as we all started walking.

When we got there the place was a bit of a mess. There were scorch marks all over and multiple blown up automatons that had been made for extreme testing by the Hephaestus cabin. Standing in the middle of it all was Thalia and Nico surprisingly as they both seemingly were having a serious fight and neither were giving any ground.

"This looks interesting, shame we missed most of it" Percy commented and I nodded, it would have been nice to truly see how Thalia was progressing

"Alright Thals, thats enough" Nico called after a while and they both stopped and looked to be a bit short of breath.

"Close there for a while death breath, you might have even won if we continued but I doubt it" Nico laughed at that.

"Common Thals, we all know who would have won that really"

Thalia raised an eyebrow.

"Really death breath? Bring it on then!" She raised her spear once again before Percy clapped his hands.

"Alright children settle down now. I'm sure you would both do great" they both jumped and looked up at us.

"Percy!" they both yelled out.

"Yes? That is my name, what do you want?"

I stifled a laugh at this while they both looked annoyed

"Would you two mind clearing the arena? I would like to get some warming up done after sleeping for two days" they both nodded and moved out of the way was we both jumped down into the arena.

"So how do you want to do this?" I asked and he considered this for a moment.

"Close quarters only and no powers, that work for you?" I nodded

"Yep, seems fine. Ready when you are" I said and summoned two silver hunting knives and settled in to a stance.

"Ready" he said but didn't seem to settle into any stance but deciding to ignore it I jumped forward only to have him almost drift out of the way of my daggers with no effort. I frowned.

"What are you trying?" I asked knowing full well that he was up to something.

"Something new" was the sarcastic reply that i received which just spurred me on to push faster and strike harder in an attempt to hit him but he kept up with the weird, gliding movement and if one of my knives got too close he would just push it to the side with the back of his fist.

"Alright then, I suppose I should actually attack if i want to have a chance of winning" after he said this his movements changed. Still odd but more connected and almost had a rhythm to them.

I found myself being pushed backwards and was completely on the defensive. The entire style seemed to be based around unpredictability and using mobility to overwhelm the opponent. I grinned. This would be much more fun than I expected.

"Time to get just a bit more serious" I said and sped up.

 **Third Person POV:**

While the sparring exercise might not have seemed all that impressive to the two combatants, all the spectators were awestruck. The two fought back and forth at impressive speeds all the while not even glancing a blow of the other. No one had seen this new fighting style of Percy's before or even anything like it and to see it hold even against Artemis was a surprise even to Thalia who knew just how much stronger Percy had become in the last five years.

"How is he managing to keep up with her speed?" asked Frank who had not seen Percy get serious since he left camp. It was Zoë who spoke up next.

"I don't even think he is being serious at the moment" which gained a few reproachful looks.

"What do you mean Zoë?" asked Jason who looked very confused

"He has not even drawn a single weapon yet" she stated simply making everyone there do a double take and realise that she was right. All Percy was using at the moment were his bare hands.

"Does that mean that if he really tried he could be faster than Lady Artemis?" pondered Thalia while everyone else excluding Zoë looked shocked at even the thought of it.

"Possibly. Percy always had the potential to reach the highest levels of combat prowess given time but he never really did have the time what with fighting in both wars and being the centre of two great prophecies in a row" Thalia looked surprised.

"I didn't know you kept such a close eye on Percy" she teased only to receive a death glare.

"I had nothing else to do in the sky and I wanted to see how he was doing after he helped me and if he would still be worthy to wield Anaklusmos. I watched him during the titan war and how he fared and saw how much regret he held over the death of his friends and knew he was still worthy. I then watched his progression throughout the giant war up until he fell into Tartarus. I could not watch what happened there and the only ones who will ever know will be him and Annabeth. It was slightly after he returned to camp that I stopped watching him as i figured there would be peace for a while" Thalia held up her hands in surrender.

"Okay okay, sorry" they turned their attention back to the fight just as Artemis sped up.

 **Percy POV:**

When Artemis sped up I once again had to switch into defending as I had to parry each strike carefully to avoid the knives getting close.

'I should really summon a weapon or something otherwise i really will lose' I thought. I was always impressed at how well Artemis could fight despite being a hunter rather than being someone who had a war domain or even a demigod who had ascended to become a god. A small smile spread across my face. For once in my life I was enjoying the fight. Nothing was on the line and whoever lost it wouldn't matter.

"Alright then, suppose I should get serious too" I said before jumping backwards and drawing Riptide from my pocket before waiting for Artemis to approach. I was not disappointed.

Artemis wasted no time in sprinting at me with knives aiming for my neck. I took a deep breath and stepped forward and swung with the same style I had been using before. It was based on Asian martial arts, part of the blessing of Ares I suppose, and was designed to use maneuverability to undermine your opponent and deal a finishing blow. As expected of Artemis she was able to counter it with ease but it kept her slightly off balance as she didnt know where the next attack would come from.

The exchange went on for what felt like an age before I saw a chance to end it. I faked going for a side swipe and when she went to block it I rotated my wrist and swiped backwards, effectively disarming her of one of her knives. She growled and before I could react she sent a kick into my arm. Since it was now celestial bronze it didn't hurt but the momentum sent Riptide flying before she followed through with the kick and held her other knife to my throat.

"I believe I win again" she said with a smile on her face and I sighed.

"I suppose you do but at least that got rid of the stiffness"

I then heard cheering from the side of the arena and looked up to see Thalia, Zoë and the others standing there clapping and cheering.

"Nice one Percy! You even looked like you might have stood a chance there for a moment" this comment came from Thalia who had a grin on her face.

"Would you like to try Thalia? I am sure you would love to try and regain some shred of respect from your sisters seeing how I beat you twice already" I responded.

Surprisingly she didn't rise to the bait.

"No thanks kelp head. I might be impulsive but I am not stupid. I know full well even without powers you would thrash me. Perhaps another time". I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"Since when did you become all mature?" I said mockingly only to get a stuck out tongue in response.

"Come on kelp head, time to go talk to the camp since they will all be wondering what has been going on for the past five years"

I took a deep breath.

"Yes. I can't hide it forever and if we are going to get them ready for what comes next this is not the time for secrets"

I straightened out and stretched.

"Artemis, if you wouldn't mind summoning the camp. I think i need to give them a few explanations"

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 **A/N: That is the end of chapter 24. Sorry for that taking absolutely ages but I just couldn't really think of a good way of creating some progress in the story. Hopefully I should have chapter 25 up before christmas and if not I'll try and give you guys a holiday gift of chapter 25 and re-writes and edits of the other chapters. See you guys soon - Nightshade Guardian**


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